Life's Lonely Road (A Poetry Collection)

Letter to Dad

I thought you were to rough on me
My treatment it didn't seem fair,
I became shattered emotionally,
And I began to show little care,

Our relationship capsized,
Drowning we began to sink,
We constantly fought for,
Turmoil was ever on the brink,

Words flew freely from us both,
I cursed you with hatred,
And I swore an oath,

That I kept to myself buried inside,
It began to eat me away,
I'd see the upon your face,
And hear the awful things,
you would say

Years passed by sour and scorn,
Unwilling to forgive,
And unable to mourn,

Foolishly distanced,
By my ego and pride,
With the truth plain as day,
Unable to hide

Then from the questions I'd posed,
Answers did rose,
It wasn't hate nor contempt,
That you had for me,
But a fatherly love,
I was too blind to see,

I wasn't the target,
Of your hostile attack,
You knew I was destined for,
Great things if only on track,

I was smarter than most,
And that made you proud,
But when I refused to show it,
That made you loud,

The animosity between us,
Wasn't fueled by hate,
It was driven by Love,
And steered by fate,

And though the lane you'd chosen,
It wasn't the best,
It sure put my heart,
And soul to the test,

I wish to have listened,
To what you did say,
For my life could've been changed in an unfathomable way,

It's wishful thinking,
That now never could be,
I can't change who I am,
I can only be me,

A shadow of my father, my dad,
The last man there will ever be,
Who fought to protect us,
From all things bad,
And struggled with pride,
But he gave us all that he had,

He gave us Shelter,
And cash and clothes,
Which cost him his body.
By way of knees and toes,

Now his mind betrays him,
He's going insane,
Nobody can understand him,
Nor feel his pain

I write this to you,
Before it becomes to late,
Hopefully you'll understand,
And can reciprocate,

I'll be the one to kiss your cheek,
And I'll be the one to hold your hand,
For because of you,
I know what it is to be a MAN!