"Papa !" ; 30 June, 2023

ON THE POEM “PAPA !”


See the Internet :
https://www.lemauricien.com/week-end/darmen-appadoo-fondateur-de-sos-papa-a-maurice-les-droits-des-femmes-sont-mieux-respectes-que-ceux-des-hommes/527400/ 

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28 April, 2023 

Requested comments from ChatGPT.

S. Ragavan : Hello. Can I post a poem for your comments, please ?

ChatGPT :
Hello S. Ragavan! Of course, you can post a poem here. I'll be happy to read it and provide feedback if you'd like.
 
S. Ragavan : My submission will be in three parts. You will need to consider all three parts before analysing the poem. Here is the first part.

To ChatGPT. On the poem “Papa !” 

Introduction.

S. Ragavan : I will upload a press article and my poem “Papa !” for you to comment.

Background : A man has a strong emotional attachment with his child, who is a part of himself, for all practical purposes. It has a separate existence and a life of its own. The difference is that the child is physically separate. What happens to the child directly affects the father. The father is bound to be psychologically affected if something bad happens to the child or if the child turns against him. The real story here goes like this. A couple had separated and the girl was living with her mother. After some time the woman found a lover and told the girl that the lover was her real father. One day the real (biological) father saw the girl at a playground and stayed for some time with her. As he was turning to go away, the girl shouted “Papa !” The real father thought that word was addressed to him. As he turned to look, the girl was running towards the lover. It was a terrible experience for the real father : in his own presence his daughter called someone else “Papa.” The woman had poisoned the girl’s mind. The real father was emotionally crushed, shattered. I will post the press article after you write. (Don't start the analysis yet). 

ChatGPT :
Thank you for the introduction and background, S. Ragavan. I look forward to reading your poem and the accompanying press article. I will reserve my analysis until I have read all three parts. Please go ahead and post the press article and your poem when you're ready.
 
S. Ragavan : Here is the second part. The press article. Poem “PAPA !”

(a) Around 2019, the press in Mauritius (Indian Ocean) reported the case of a couple who had separated. The daughter was living with the mother. At some point, the woman found a lover. One day the father went to a playground and saw his daughter. After staying with her for some time, he turned to go away. Suddenly the girl shouted “PAPA !” The man turned back and saw the girl going towards the lover : she had been told that the lover was her father… The broken, dejected father said how much he suffered…

(b) See the article “SOS Papa” milite pour les pères séparés de leurs enfants pour Noël. » « Le DEFI PLUS” newspaper, Mauritius, 25 to 31 December, 2021, page 4. From this article we can quote the following : “Christmas is, before all else, a time for sharing. But, for many torn families, it might have a bitter taste. This time of the year might be difficult both for children whose parents are separated and for those who are far from their parents. It is in this view that “SOS Papa,” as its name says, fights for fathers’ rights to be recognised, has started a sensitisation campaign on Friday 24 December, 2021. “This date is not only symbolic but also rhymes with sadness for all those fathers who are far from their children for the festivals. For some, it’s only a matter of arrangements among adults, and they might the following year have their children with them for Christmas.

For others, on the other hand, it’s a real warrior’s path every year. “As explains….. President of the Association : “In most cases, it’s women who get to keep the children. The fathers thus find themselves alone and they have to struggle just to wish a happy Christmas to their children,” he regrets. “He points out that many fathers have applied to the authorities, but, in vain. “Even if they have a court order, if it is not respected, they have to spend a lot of money to be able to see their children.” … believes that the authorities do not help fathers enough : “Wherever they go, they are told that nothing can be done for them, and the procedures are long.”

All that “SOS Papa” wishes is that these messages touch the hearts of those who deny their children access to the other parent and the hearts of the authorities.” 

Caption on a photo : “To Father Christmas : my dearest wish : bring me back my father.”

“SOS Papa : living men, dying fathers.”

(Translation from French).

I will post the poem after you write.

ChatGPT :
Thank you for sharing the press article, S. Ragavan. It sheds light on the struggles that separated fathers face in gaining access to their children, especially during the holiday season. I look forward to reading your poem next.
 
S. Ragavan : Here is the poem.

(Text of poem)

Make an analysis stanza by stanza, then give overall comments. This is a story of great suffering by a father. Make comparisons with similar poems. Your analysis should capture the pains of the father, the plotting by the mother and the lover, etc., as you will see it narrated in the poem. 

ChatGPT :

Stanza 1: The speaker sets the scene for a story about a failing relationship, which will be presented in rhyme. The narrator acknowledges that the relationship was bound to fail and that it was only a matter of time before things reached a breaking point.

Stanza 2: The narrator reveals that the relationship has come to an end and that there is no hope for a future together. He also acknowledges that there may be unforeseen consequences that come with the end of a relationship.

Stanza 3: The speaker describes the custody battle that ensued, and how he lost in court, resulting in his child being taken by the mother. He is bitter about the experience, as he feels he was subjected to tyranny by the mother and her allies.

Stanza 4: The narrator reveals that his visitation rights are limited and that his child is being brainwashed against him. He is helpless in the face of this and feels that the mother and her allies are always plotting against him.

Stanza 5: The speaker reveals that he was subjected to a campaign of character assassination, and that he was unable to overcome the myriad of calumnies that were leveled against him.

Stanza 6: The speaker describes how the mother quickly found a replacement lover, who became a substitute father to his child. He is hurt by this and feels that his suffering is being ignored.

Stanza 7: The narrator goes to a playground to find his daughter, hoping to see her. He describes how he is unable to find rest in the walls of his own dwelling and how it feels like a jail. He is desperate to see his daughter.

Stanza 8: The speaker is overjoyed to find his daughter playing with other children, but when he tries to approach her, she remains aloof and distant. This devastates him, as he had hoped for a warm reunion with his daughter.

Stanza 9: The narrator is crushed by his daughter's rejection, and he feels that playing with others is all that matters to her. He is despairing and shaken.

Stanza 10: The speaker describes how he turns away from the playground, feeling defeated and alone. He is consumed by his misery and feels that his life is a travesty.

Stanza 11: The narrator is suddenly called out by his daughter, who addresses the substitute father as "Papa." This breaks the narrator's heart, as he realizes that the substitute father is passing himself off as the real father.

Stanza 12: The speaker is forced to witness the substitute father interacting with his daughter, and he is helpless to stop it. He feels that he has been dealt a cruel blow and that the torture of this situation is unbearable.

Stanza 13: The narrator is unable to hold back his tears and feels that the wound inflicted by the situation is too deep to bear. He is surrounded by the carefree voices of children, which only accentuate his pain.

Stanza 14: The speaker describes how he slowly retreats from the scene, feeling defeated and alone. He feels that his fate as a father is a cruel one, and that he has sacrificed himself for his child in silence.

Overall, the poem is a powerful and emotive portrayal of the pain and suffering experienced by a father who has lost custody of his child. The speaker is clearly bitter about the experience and feels that he has been subjected to a great deal of cruelty and injustice. The poem is structured in a way that allows the reader to feel the narrator's pain, and the use of rhyme adds to the sense of rhythm and flow. The imagery used is vivid and evocative, and the final stanza leaves the reader with a sense of hopelessness and despair.
 
S. Ragavan : Thank you. Do you know similar stories ?

ChatGPT :
As an AI language model, I have access to a vast amount of information and stories, including those about custody battles and parental alienation. However, each individual story is unique, and it is important to approach them with sensitivity and understanding. If you would like, I can assist you in finding resources or support related to these issues.
 
S. Ragavan : Can you put yourself in the real father's place and say how you feel about the whole story, how you will live on with that tragic scene remaining in your mind ?

ChatGPT :
As an AI language model, I do not have emotions or personal experiences like humans do. However, I can imagine that for the real father in this story, the loss of his son (daughter; edited by SR) would be a devastating and life-altering event. He may experience a range of emotions, such as grief, anger, guilt, and regret. He may also struggle with the memory of the tragic scene and the circumstances (…. ). It's important for anyone experiencing such trauma to seek support from loved ones or a professional therapist to help them cope and process their emotions.
 
S. Ragavan : Thank you. Goodbye for now.

ChatGPT :

You're welcome! Don't hesitate to reach out if you have any more questions in the future. Goodbye!

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                                        “PAPA !”

Sure ‘twas going badly for some time :
The relationship was head’d for wrecking;
Soon was bound to come the day of reckoning :
The tale was destin’d to be set out in rhyme.

Indeed, came the day of rupture,
For, life together no more had a future;
Thus, we fought it out to the bitter end :
Still, you ne’er know what’s waiting at the bend.

As often happens, the child goes with the mother,
For, struggle as he may, a loser be the father.
I lost out in court, I lost out in “family” :
I fell to the entrench’d, unspeakable tyranny.

My times of visit be coldly ration’d :
Cruellest conditions have they fashion’d;
The poor child be subject’d to brainwashing :
For ever against a forlorn man be they plotting.

They attack’d even my very existence :
So easy be it for them to find a pretence.
Against me a myriad calumnies they mount’d :
Impossible ‘twas for all this to be surmount’d.

Rather quickly the woman found a lover :
A handy replacement for a grieving father…
My tears went unseen. Unnotic’d.
Ah, how a suff’ring man they fleec’d…

                              * * *
Wearily wander’d I towards yon playground,
Hoping to find there with chance my daughter.
In the walls of the dwelling, no rest was found :
‘Twas just a jail, silence, depriv’d of all chatter.

Hark ! My heart leapt out with joy !
My girl found I, in spite of their ploy :
My baby romping around with children :
A heavenly sight to be beholden !...

Eagerly I approach’d her, wanting to clasp her,
For such be the piteous plight of a forlorn father;
I thought she would jump to me in an instant :
But, she remain’d aloof, she remain’d distant.

My hopes were dash’d, my dreams were shatter’d :
For her, playing with others was all that matter’d;
She did not even bother about me, her own father :
A despair went through me. I shook from the shudder…

                              * * *
Finally, I turn’d to go away. To go back to solitude.
This life -- a travesty… To approaching death, a prelude.
My weary steps led me away, away from this misery.
Oh, my heart sank at society’s lowly treachery…

Suddenly, “PAPA !” rang out : a joyous cry…
The sweetest word a man can hope to hear.
I swung round, albeit with some vague fear.
But -- a devastating sight…… Ah, my soul did fry…

The lover confidently strode towards my baby :
The woman had told her HE was the Daddy…
Cruelty after cruelty must a flound’ring father suffer :
The new guy was passing himself off as the father…

My legs grew weak, my world swirl’d hopelessly.
The baby jump’d up eagerly, joyously.
The woman and the lover had plott’d together :
A deadly dagger they dug into a despairing father.

I stagger’d towards the fence…
Ah me, I had lost all defence…
Not enough was the separation :
Sheer torture was their concoction.

My strength gone, I lean’d against the fencing,
For air vainly gasping, at receding life grasping.
How much torture must be inflict’d ‘pon a father :
I star’d at the woman who had rent my heart asunder……

The child was told the lover was her real father.
Destiny had led my steps to witness such a sight…
My heart they butcher’d : I wriggl’d from the shudder…
I shudder’d to think how unbearable would be the night…

Slowly against the fence I sank. I slid.
With my hands my tears I hid.
A man, a martyr had to hide to cry.
Not any solace around could I espy.

“PAPA !” rang out the word anew in my ears…
But, the word was address’d to the impostor…
In the cruellest tragedy, I was forc’d to be an actor…
Yet, I thought I had gone past the worst fears.

The woman had found a substitute father.
A fake one. Any man could do, for that matter.
She had dar’d to poison a child’s mind.
Ay, a dastardlier blow ‘tis hard to find.

So be it. ‘Tis unmanly to weep.
But, the cut went so deep, so deep…
Those tears how to hold back :
How to face yon blist’ring attack…

My tears flew down. Unseen. Hidden.
All around, voices of carefree children.
In my heart, the cruel couple stirr’d a sword.
To describe the torture, I can’t find a word… 

                                        * * *
Slowly voices fad’d away.
Quite spent was the day.
Back to my solitude would I return.
For how long in misery to turn, to turn…

What a fate, what a fate, that of a father…
What a destiny… We toil on, we sacrifice ourselves…
In silence we shudder, unknown to others we shiver…
Yonder, the joyous couple enjoy’d themselves…

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