Norman admits he’s partly to blame
for raising boys who partly know
how to be men. He always meant
to teach them more but didn’t, partly
because he married too young,
partly because he had to make a living,
partly because he wanted his boys
to be tough, partly because he didn’t
know how himself, partly because
he lacked patience, understanding, kindness,
partly because such things didn’t matter
in the military, but even he suspected
it was mostly because he had always
only been partly himself.