Father,
When I was young you were always the villian,
Leaving for weeks at a time,
And then coming home and telling us
Children covered in sin.
We dreaded your arrival,
And hated to see you go,
Yes, you were the harder hand,
But when you left we watched from the window.
And now that I am older,
I keep those blinds drawn tight..
I wish not to see you come or go,
I wish only to be in your sight.
Your gypsy ways have settled down,
And a crumbled family we will always be,
But now, I talk to you everyday
And you still see that five year old me.
You forget that I have aged, learned, and lost,
You instill in me that the best kind of woman,
Is one without a voice
But I will keep mine at all costs.
You strangle my rebellion and stick to all the codes,
Afraid to step out of the shoes of others,
You are the shirt and tie that everyone knows.
Harsh and judgemental, yet the love is buried deep.
I know that you care about me.
However... I cannot handle the balls of tension
When I walk into my own home.
Maybe when I walk out the door
You will realize that I am grown.