Dad

[LeftyFingerPop]

Your daughters called you daddy
But I called you dad because
My older friend who knew the world
Said that only sissies say daddy
As the years fly by I notice
My hands turning into your hands
Strong, vein covered, and...old
Your fingers too big to fit in the rotary dial phone
So you used a pencil
That tune you whistled when you were working
The wonderful calming song
I only wished I asked you the name of it
But I remember it nearly forty years later
And I whistle it too
When I am working
And I talk to myself like you did
Drawing a line with a fat pencil on a piece of partly usable wood
Whispering "like this...this might work...like this"
I would come home with black eyes
And you would say
"If you are going to fight with boys bigger than you,
You need to learn how to,
Hit me, punch me in the face"
No, I can't, I will hurt you
You can't hurt me son, you are not strong enough
So I would punch you with my right hand
Your head jerking back slightly as you laughed
As you reached for me and hugged me
Biting my cheek and kissing me
And telling me everything was alright

[LeftyFingerPop]

1. I hate to let this die because it came from my heart.

Maybe one or two of you can relate.

[YankeyMCC]

5. Relate ideed!

It just isn't manly to feel tears threaten to escape my eyes over a poem about a "Dad" is it?

Thank you sir, your Dad sounds different in some ways than mine but still you captured so much of how I feel about my Dad and my memories of him.

Thanks!

[LeftyFingerPop]

6. The real men cry yankee...

and they cry freely.

Best wishes to you, and thank you. :hug:

[skygazer]

2. This makes me think of my husband

His dad died when my husband was in his 20's and he misses him a lot. He talks about the little things he remembers and how much they meant, and wishes he could tell his dad all the things he never told him.

There's something so special about the relationship between a father and son. I like this.

[LeftyFingerPop]

7. Thank you skygazer.

Mine died when I was 11 at age 57.

Best wishes to both you and your husband. :hug:

[KitchenWitch]

3. That is beautiful.

[LeftyFingerPop]

8. Thank you KW

:hug:

[regularguy]

4. Touching...and lots of nice imagery.

My memories of my Dad are mostly negative; hopefully my kids won't feel the same way (so far, so good).

[LeftyFingerPop]

9. I'm sure they will have great memories of you.

Thank you and best wishes. :hug:

[Bennyboy]

10. Very nice... I am envious of those who had

good relationships with their fathers. Unfortunately I did not. As I get later in life, and father is near his last days, I really wish I had a good relationship with him. But that is all on him.

Fortunately, I have great realtionships with my children. So the circle stops there....

[LeftyFingerPop]

11. Some things can never be mended perfectly...

but they can be mended to a semi-peaceful conclusion.

Best of luck to you Benny with the situation with your dad.

[fizzgig]

12. that is beautiful, philboy

i have been so blessed in my relationship with my father, who will always and forever be daddy to me

:hug:

[LeftyFingerPop]

13. Thank you kagehime...

and I am happy for the relationship that you have had with your father. :hug:

[LeftyFingerPop]

14. kick.

[S n o w b a l l]

15. What a beautiful tribute, philboy....

11 yrs old is way too young for a boy to lose his father. But, he would be so proud. All the talents & skills you possess, the skills most boys learn from their fathers, you learned on your own. You can go from master carpentry to creating and analyzing a financial statement...you are a wiz with your head and your hands. But, then something tells me you really didn't do it alone....your Dad has always been with you, guiding you to be the successful and wonderful man you are.The 11 yrs he parented you, many fathers can't do in a lifetime. He must have been a hell of a man and he lives in you.

:hug:

:loveya:

[LeftyFingerPop]

18. Engi....

Kind and profound words like this are rare, and they were typed by a rare, kind and profound woman.

Thank you Engi...:cry: :hug: :loveya:

[erinlough]

16. Although I am a woman, I relate

your description of your dad talking to himself while he works reminded me of my dad. Dad died on December 15th this year. I think of him all the time. What an impression we make on our children.

Thank you for posting this.

[LeftyFingerPop]

19. erinlough...

I am very sorry to hear of your dad's recent passing. :hug:

[erinlough]

21. Thanks,

I have a memory Bell someone gave me and it sits outside. This bell rings at the oddest times, not when it is windy, but when it is almost calm. As I am working outside, I think of my Mom and Dad, and my oldest sister who died three years ago. It is almost like talking to them again. They were my best friends and both households were my next door neighbors also.

[Ptah]

17. well said.

:thumbsup:

[LeftyFingerPop]

20. Thank you Ptah...

:thumbsup: :hi:

[Blue_In_AK]

22. A beautiful poem, PhilBoy...

Heartfelt.

[LeftyFingerPop]

33. Thank you Blue_In_AK

[ChoralScholar]

23. Beautiful, philboy

As someone who is learning to love his dad, and working hard to be a dad... I can relate...

[LeftyFingerPop]

28. Learning to love your dad is,,,

learning to love his faults too.

We all have out faults, but the fact that you are working hard to be a dad means that you will be a great one...:hug:

[Ptah]

24. .

[LeftyFingerPop]

27. Beautiful.

The scene, the clothes. And the faces convey a relaxed happiness. Beautiful pic, beautiful family. :hug:

[pokerfan]

25. That is awesome

Anyone who's lost a parent can relate. It's been twelve and six years for me and they still visit me in my dreams.

[LeftyFingerPop]

29. I am sorry for your losses...

and they will forever guide you. Best wishes to you. :hug:

[ClayZ]

26. Good work, Poet!

[LeftyFingerPop]

30. Thank you...

If I knew how to write poetry, I would write the most amazing poem ever....because it is in my heart...but I just don't have the words. :hug:

[ClayZ]

31. You did! Keep writing.

Put your pen to paper and keep going!

[LeftyFingerPop]

32. Your encouragement means a lot to me.

I used to price major Government proposals. The proposals not only included cost information (which I was directly responsible for), but also, a lot of persuasive technical verbiage.

Engineers would come to me and ask me to express in writing what they wanted to convey. I never considered myself to be a good writer, but many others did.

I am still bashful about exposing myself through writing. I think that I may be semi-ok at it, but I don't have the confidence.

I was in pain and horribly ill when I wrote the OP, and that poem spilled off my fingers in under a minute. When I am feeling good, it seems like it is difficult for me to even string a coherent sentence together.

Thank you again for your kind words.

[ClayZ]

34. There is kind of a "sweet spot" for writing poetry.

The more you go there,
The easier it is to get there.
It is a quiet sort of space.
A place of wonder.
It is not your grocery list kind of place.
It is in your heart,
That place where you soul spills out on the paper.
If you are a painter,
It looks like watercolor,
If you are a poet,
Words
If you are a dancer
You will be twirling....

We should all go there more often!

[LeftyFingerPop]

35. Lovely!

It is in your heart indeed....

Thank you for that.