Emma is a delightful young adult with physical and cognitive disabilities. Her biological father stopped providing support when she turned 18 and stopped seeing her years ago. Fortunately, Emma has an adoring, adoptive stepdad who loves and provides for her (and she has a mom!). ​​
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Emma's situation begs the question: What are a (wealthy) parent's moral and ethical obligations? Emma's biological father stated that society can take care of her, but is it moral for a wealthy person to incur significant cost on society -- and use society's finite financial resources -- when they can enroll their child onto their health insurance for free, or provide continued child support?
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Colorado law states that if a child is incapacitated before age 18, they should be assisted by their parents for their entire life if the parents are financially able. While this could be a hardship for many, the wealthy can assist their disabled adult children instead of placing the entire financial burden on society.
Emma's mom participates on the Children with Disabilities Child Support Commission, which is tasked with updating state law to recognize that when the parents of a special needs child divorce, one parent often becomes a full-time caregiver while the other parent may provide minimal or no respite or financial support.
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Daddy Walks Past Me
Daddy walks past me
On the path, pretending not
To see me, my chair
The backpack of a
Better, not disappointing
Child in his right hand
​
The tugging, terse grip
They're dead weight what about us
In his other hand
I watch as daddy
Walks past me, ignores me, I
Don't understand why
I Have To Go
My sunny bunny
Daddy cooed when we were poor
Budgeting, saving
​
The wooden swingset
A splurge, damaged on clearance
I squeal in delight​
​
Swish swish the monkey
Fish daddy sings, pushing me
Back and forth back and--​
​
She's society's
Problem, daddy yells in court
Eighteen years old now
​
Why do I have to
Go away, why don't you want
Your sunny bunny
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Daddy Did You Know, 1
Daddy did you know
It's Christmas did you get my
Picture with Santa
​
Daddy did you know
I can walk for an hour now
And twirl in circles
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Daddy did you know
It's Christmas did you see my
Amazon wish list
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Daddy did you know
Daisy got a rabbit and
Ate it all up ewww
​
Two Doctor Offices
Mommy cries tears of
Shame, their practice doesn't take
Medicaid clients
​
I'll pay cash mommy
Barters but my kind isn't
Their kind they say
​
Sorry... sorry... yes
We'll see her, private pay please
They tell me I'm cute
​
No charge today she
Whispers. Oh no we couldn't
I have five hundred
​
The doctor walks by
And winks and mommy hurries
To cry in the car
Texts from the Warden
Bark bark beep beep beep
Mommy drops the catheter
Picks up her cell phone
​
What are you doing?!
I'm not seeing him in there!
Send him out right now!
​
Daddy is right here
Learning about UTIs
I have to pee
​
What's the commotion
Why is she at the window
Papa is perturbed
​
Come on hurry up
Daddy is angry now but
I have to pee
​
Ding-dong the doorbell
The screen door, locked by habit
Yanks against the frame
​
Papa glares at dad
Dad glares at mommy and I
Still have to pee
​
Welcome
​
Great-grandpa hugs me
Zero come on little baby
Breathe for me
​
I feel so warm so
Loved. One thatta baby come on
Help me out
​
Grandma kisses me
Goodbye, so snuggly so soft so
Proud of me
​
Don't do this to me
Little baby, come on come on
Come on please
​
Will I ever feel
This adored again but they leave
Me instead
​
Three. Atta baby
We got her yeah girl happy birth
Day baby
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Phone Calls from Prison
Daddy finally
Calls back, four days after my
Twentieth birthday
​
Hi baby I can
Only talk for a minute
He whispers quickly
​
Sing a song daddy
Okay okay down by the
Station early in--
​
Who are you talking
To are you talking to them
It better not be--
​
I gotta go I'll
Talk to you later baby.
But the song I fuss
​
He'll finish singing
Mommy interjects with much
Fake cheer. Keep. Singing.
​
Umm [Just a minute!]
Down by the station early--
WHO IS ON THE-- beep
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Daddy’s Elegy to his Neighborhood
​
(apologies to Twinkle Twinkle Little Star)
​
F*** you f*** you new daycare
It’s all so horribly unfair
You should have been a private barn
The developer spun us a yarn
​
F*** you f*** you zoning board
That’s a place they can afford
Now my maid will stick around
Take her kids to our playground
​
F*** you f*** you city plan
Our ‘hood is like Afghanistan
What about my house value
Now it’s down to two point two
F*** you too apartment folk
Gentrifications such a joke
Know that when you walk our path
You incur our racist wrath
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F*** you f*** you new daycare
How I wish you were nowhere
Courtroom Verse
Daddy’s attorney
Is on a writing spree
Who knew a bulldog
Could pen poetry?
“Response to Citation
For Contempt of Court:”
We don’t wanna pay
Any child support
“Frivolous, vexatious
Need for health insurance”
Oh how it wounds us
This “unlawfulness”
“False allegation
Harassing, defaming”
We need protection
“She’ll stop at nothing”
“Under such duress
Dismiss with prejudice
Award costs and fees
Create a consequence”
Daddy’s attorney
Gave the judge the third degree
Badgered him until
He ruled against me
Rich Man I Am
​
(apologies to Dr. Seuss)
​
I am rich man
Rich man I am
I do not like
This legal scam
I do not like
Mediation
I do not like
Visitation
I will not meet you
In a room
I will not meet you
Over Zoom
I will not meet you
In an office
I will not meet you
In a caucus
Would you, could you
On a Tuesday?
Would you, could you
On a Thursday?
I would not, could not
On a Tuesday!
I would not, could not
On a Thursday!
I will not meet you
Any day
I will not meet you
In a century!
Would you, could you
With your lawyer?
Would you, could you
With your pastor?
I would not, could not
With my lawyer!
I would not, could not
With my pastor!
​
I will not meet you
With your people
I will not meet you
With my sheeple
I will not meet you
Here or there
I will not meet you
Anywhere!
I do not want
Visitation!
I do not want
Mediation!
​
I do not want
To see her photos
I do not want
To get mementos
I do not want
To hear updates
I do not want
To be playmates
I cannot have
Her in my house
I cannot have
Her near my spouse
I do not like her!
Let me be!
I do not like her
In my fam!
You can’t make me!
Rich man I am
But I will sue you
For both’ring me
It’s really taxed me
Quite heavily
I do so like
To sue the poor!
I do so like
To extract more!
I will serve you
With a tort!
I will see you
In a court!
I will sue you
For blood sport!
And I will sue you
‘Til you’re mort!
Say! I do so like
This mediation!
It makes me want
Annihilation.
Thank you!
Thank you,
Rich man I am
Ode to Deadbeat Tech Bro Daddies
One million stock shares
Under lock and key
How rich could daddy really be?
​
Sometimes it goes down
Sometimes it goes whee!
Ten-fold stock split oh golly gee!
​
Add in the bitcoins
Hidden from decree
Make a tech soup not shared with me!
​
Simmer over time
Add acrimony
Eat it all yourself. Insanity.​
​
The Loser
He's such a loser
Daddy said. Pathetic. Just
A librarian.
​
A real husband makes
Real money. Lots of money.
Has a real career.
​
It's his own fault
If I can buy her nice things
If he can't keep her
​
Mommy rolled her eyes
Unbuckled me, took my bag
Why are you early
​
I have to work, ok?!
You don't understand how much
Pressure I'm under
​
I love you I sign
But daddy doesn't see me
He has work to do
New Wife, New Life
​
Daddy changed his will
He wrote mommy, certified
Mail. Adios.
​
And by the way I'm
Stopping child support too, sue
Me, my hired guns
​
Oh that's right you can't
Heart surgery, deaths, orphans
Too bad so sad b*****
​
Daddy's outside now
Don't mess with me he screamed, he
Forgot to kiss me
Daddy's Friend
​
Daddy introduces me
The daughter of a friend,
He says. Babysitting.
​
No no I fuss I try but
No one understands
Shh that's enough settle down
​
Mommy unloads me​. Brother
Runs up hi Emma
Who's this ,the neighbor boy stares
​
My dad's friend's kid. Mic drop. Gasp.
Go inside boys right
Now world war three is starting
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Daddy Did You Know, 2
Daddy did you know
I was in the hospital
Internal bleeding
​
Mommy texted you
Called you. Emailed you. Sent a
Social media
​
Bought stamps and
Postal mailed you. Carefully
Texted stepmommy
​
You probably have
New numbers. Emails. Social
Accounts. Addresses.
​
Or mommy dialed wrong
Mistyped. Misspelled. Or maybe
Two miles is too far
​
But I'm back home now
Recovering, awaiting
I'll show you my scar
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Daddy Did You Know, 3
​
Daddy did you know
I can count to one hundred
A hundred's a lot
​
Daddy did you know
That grandma died we can't
See her anymore
​
Daddy did you know
Daisy got in big trouble​
Digging in the yard
​
Daddy did you know
I went on a real long walk
Like a hundred miles
​
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Poking the Bear
Why don't you retire
Enjoy your money and kids
Go buy a mountain
​
Daddy chuffs at her
Silently unbuckles me
Begins to turn red
​
Mommy doesn't heed
Nature's danger warning signs
Blind with emotion
​
What about your kids
What happened to retiring
At twenty million
​
When is it enough
One hundred million two three
Who cares if you're dead
​
Daddy grunts and lifts
My wheelchair van parked right there
Too cool to borrow
​
How can't you see it
Doing the same to your kids
How you've become him
​
Where will you end up
All you wanted was his time
You hated your dad.
​
The unspoken code
Of daddy's buried feelings
One poke too many
​
I Saw Daddy, a holiday poem
​
I saw daddy kiss a young lady
Underneath the big tree at the park
He didn't stop to think
That he just might be a fink
For using me as chick bait
As his wife cleaned bath and sink
​
Oh, I saw daddy surf eHarmony
When mommy went to class to be a nurse
He gave me a cute wink
Said shh don't make a stink
You'll like this one she's got two kids
​And her ex is in the clink
​
Then I saw daddy kiss my mommy's friend
On the stoop of her house down the street
​He didn't even blink
And knew he was a slink
Leading on the neighbor
Cause he liked her treats and drink
​
Oh, I heard daddy say he's just Don Juan
When the neighbor left her family for him
He said they're out of sync
That flirting is his kink
But the neighbor wouldn't
Go home til she got a marriage link
​
Then I heard mommy say it's not my prob
It's your monkey and your circus too
Oh what a laugh it would have been
If daddy hadn't gone all-in
With mommy's married neighbor lady friend!
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Buying Power
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Stepmommy buys
A giant outdoor cage
Proclaims her devotion
To the injured squirrels
​
Stepmommy buys
Tiny nursing bottles
Proclaims undying love
For abandoned kittens
​
Stepmommy buys
Special license plates
Proclaims her commitment
To retired greyhounds
​
And stepmommy donates
Loose change from the car
Proclaims her heart belongs
To the disabled kids
​
But the squirrels never arrived
The kittens were never fostered
The race dogs never petted
And the disabled kids were quietly scorned
​
Stepmommy bought
Social standing and approval
And that was good enough
All works on this page © 2025 by Jessie Shaw Thompson are licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0