ODES OF MY FATHER

My father, Gerald Francis Triplett, born March 15, 1909 near Ceres, California, was one of seven children born to my grandparents, William Wright Triplett and Cora Harriman Triplett. The William Wright Triplett family were farmers, cannery owners, and teachers.On September 21, 1935 in Alameda, California at the home of my great uncle, Henry Clay Fowler, my father married Alcena V. Sumpter (Emma Alcena Sumpter), born November 19, 1913 in Arnett, Oklahoma. Their children were my sister, Sydney Dell Triplett, born October 9, 1936 in Modesto, California and myself, Gerald Gregory Triplett, born December 3,1938 also in Modesto, California. My parents divorced sometime in 1940. To this day I know not why! My father enlisted in the US Army on December 4, 1942, one day after my fourth birthday. He served with the US Army Signal Corps in the Pacific Theater during WW II, specifically in New Guinea and on Luzon, The Philippines.Fast forward to January 2, 1988 when my father passed away. He left me, among other valuables, a stack of poems he had written over the years. All poems were type written on single sheets of five-inch by eight-inch paper with multiple carbon copies of each sheet. Some of the sheets had burn marks on them, testifying to his use of the ',atrocious weed.' All sheets were yellowed with age, some having liquid stains, attributing to his use of the ',vintner's brew.'My sister, Sydney (later changed to Cydney) died tragically in 1975 at thirty-eight years of age. She left behind two young children, Raymond Ludwick VonSavoye, III and Kurt Gregory VonSavoye.I loved my father and my sister dearly. I only wish that I was able to be with them more before each of their passing. I blame myself and no other person for this void in my life.This book of poems mostly written by my father, includes one poem by Sydney, published under the name Cydney VonSavoye in a newspaper many years ago, and three poems by yours truly, all previously unpublished. This book is a tribute to my father and to my sister by the only living member of our immediate family.