Emma was a delightful young adult with physical and cognitive disabilities. Her biological father stopped providing support when she turned 18 and stopped occasionally seeing her when she turned 21. Fortunately, Emma had an adoring, adoptive stepdad who loved and provided for her (and she had a mom!).
Emma's situation begged the question: What are a wealthy parent's moral and ethical obligations? Emma's biological father stated that society could 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?
Colorado law states that if a child is incapacitated before age 18, they should be assisted by their parents for their entire life if they 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.
The new Children with Disabilities Child Support Commission (Colorado) 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.
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
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
Daddy did you know
It's Christmas did you see my
Amazon wish list
Daddy did you know
Daisy got a rabbit and
Ate it all up ewww
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
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
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
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 family!
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 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
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!
Buying Power
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