As shown by the poet, it is often difficult for a child to understand exactly what is happening and what is abusing it because for the child this is normality, in this case the child in the poem he describes abuse as a playful game or dance between father and son. He is caught between love and fear for his father. "But I resisted like death: such a waltz was not easy." (lines 2-3). This shows that even though he is afraid and gets beaten by his father, he still has respect and admiration for him based on the fact that he can't keep up easily, he still manages to hold onto his father. The word death in the third line is important, it shows, often in love poems it is a promise to love until the end, to never leave and to love until the end. In this poem there is a young boy's desperation for his father's love, for his father to reciprocate the love his son shows