A Man who use to run circles Around giants twice his size Now naps away what is left Of the rest of his life
His Yosemite Sam mustache Has long since been replaced With a prickly-grey stubble On his poor weathered face
He asks what his boys are up to And still calls me his sugar-bear I take time to look into his hazel eyes That are quickly losing their luster
I see the times for tall-tales Or toothy grins as he plays his guitar Are certain to become fewer & fewer As the light slowly dims in my father
And although I hate to see him in such pain I hail to the powers that be For surrounding him with so many loved ones And allowing him a few more days here with me
I accept that his days are numbered They have been for quite some time But no matter how much I think I’m prepared There is no way to imagine him not in my life
He offers me his unconditional love Something so few are fortunate to know His light will live on, long after his life In my heart & memories it will continue to grow
He’s been the driving force in our family The stern rock we’ve all counted on How does a house continue to stand - When you feel your foundation is gone?
I suppose, like others before us We’ll adjust to live in new ways And lean on each other for comfort Until we’ve weathered the long, painful days
His legacy continuing to live on through my brothers Somewhere between power tools & gentle guitar strings With such determination and talent coursing through them I know his presence will always be seen
These days I touch his tissue paper skin And tell him how much I love him so Knowing he wants to be with his Pop again I silently grant him permission to go
My heart is so full of sorrow Not being able to do much at all The pain of watching a parent so helpless – Withering away like leaves in the fall
My love for him is as strong today As it has always been in the past The love we share transcends this life-time I am certain it will continue to last
And while we still have some time left on this Earth I make a point to share my heart & stay in touch Reminded how each precious moment we are given Should be spent with the ones that we love
I wrote this poem about my father – only 3 months before he passed away.