Condolences

Happy Birthday, Dad. I love you.

Daddy, I miss you.
Your smile and laugh.
Creativity abound
A true animal lover.
Thoughtful, helpful.
Tried learning Spanish for your peers.
Goofy and music loving.

You were other things, too.
A monster of fear.
You yelled and belittled.
Drank till enraged.
Brushed off my pain,
And kept me afraid.
Filled my head with worries,
Threatened me so much.
But, you never laid a hand on me,
So, it wasn't abuse, right?

It's your birthday, today,
And I miss you so much.
I'd give up my childhood memory
To hug you, and talk.
I wish grief wasn't weird,
And that I wasn't confused.
I wish life was simple,
But it's not. It's chaos.
I just miss you,
And I wish you were here.

Reviews

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

I want you to know your poem was very moving. It speaks to the complexities of those we love. How they wear many faces. Some they show in their public persona and others behind closed doors. I know this all too well having grown up in an abusive household. Some of my scars can not be seen, but they are still there many years later. Thank you for sharing your poem with us. CLE

[Hallow]

Thank you so much for your feed back. It really made me ponder the perspective of my childhood in an eye opening way. Thank you for reading.