age 5,
reading with me in the day
reading to me at night
my father was the best man
that ever walked the face of the earth.
age 10,
a liar and a cheat
he turned out to be
but my father he was still.
age 15,
a vengeful bastard
who couldn't let go of the past.
hitting his wife,
and anyone else in sight.
age 22,
giving me crumbs
like a beggar by the wayside
expecting gratitude for
my own birthright.
age 38,
single and alone
not for lack of men
but for in all the men I've ever met
i've found pieces of my father.
