Forgiving A Debt: A Reading of Lucille Clifton's "forgiving my father"

Forgiving A Debt: A Reading of Lucille Clifton's "forgiving my father" Lucille Clifton's "forgiving my father" begins with the speaker declaring that it is the end of the week and the bills are due. The speaker then reveals that both of her parents are dead, yet she is still awaiting payment: "and I hold it (her palm) out like a good daughter" (7). How can she expect something that she knows she can never obtain? While …

…be a happy and joyful union, not something that you can't stand? The conflict is finally resolved when the speaker wonders, "What am I doing here collecting" (21). In the speaker's eyes, her parents "lie side by side in debtor's boxes" (22), not caskets. When she finishes she writes "and no accounting will open them up" (23). The speaker realizes that her deceased father's obligation will not be fulfilled, and that she might as well forgive his debt.