So, your father just emailed you a poem he wrote, and he wants your thoughts about it. You’re probably thinking: I still do not like my father. Is it normal for a person my age to still not like their father?
The answer is probably, but probably not. And what you’re also probably thinking (probably) is: I hold (or am about to hold) an MFA. Is this beneath my efforts? The answer is probably, but definitely not. And since you’ve made it here, you’re likely curious about what your tips are, so here’s the best I can do, because I, too, ask these questions:
Be nice.
Seeing as how this is the first time in your life you’ve ever seen your father create anything other than tension at dinner, it has probably taken a lot of effort for him to make this—and even more to send it to you. Even though it’s in all caps and center-aligned. And it kind of looks like a notice to hold down the handle taped above a leaky toilet in a gas station bathroom. Read it for what it is and be nice about it.