Missing You, Dad

Another new year arrived, dad,
No longer this earth you dwell,
It's time to share the story of
The life you lived so well.

Born in an American small town,
In a family that soon tore apart,
Raised by your grandparent's steady hands,
Who loved you with all of their heart.

They instilled in you strong values,
And taught you right from wrong,
Generations of life's lessons,
Their gift to pass along.

They taught you to stand with God,
Your love of fishing too,
They taught you to work hard,
In everything you do.

You grew up with the world in turmoil,
Another world wide fight,
Uncles and cousins were sent to battle...
To battle for the side of right.

Yet your days of youth were no different,
Filled with good times and with bad,
And though things were hard to come by,
You were thankful for all that you had.

The war had come to an end
Before you were old enough to enlist,
You chose to serve your country, still,
Stationed at Fort Bliss.

You married my mother and together
Raised your daughters three,
You passed onto them stories and lessons
Learned from your family tree.

You taught your daughters to dream and fish,
How to face their darkest fears,
Like a hero, there you stood,
Bestowing life's lessons through the years.

You were always there... a firm foundation,
Quiet and strong through-and-through
Every bump in the road--- You were there,
A sturdy hand to hold onto.

You never looked for praise
And were never a man to boast,
You quietly stood by “your girls,”
The family you so loved the most.

Though time-to-time I still shed tears,
That cut me like a knife,
I'm forever grateful to God,
That you were in my life.

My dad was a loving, thoughtful man,
Decent to the bone,
His laughter and jokes are mere echoes now,
Strong memories that I own.

My dad was no hero to the world,
But he is a hero, nonetheless,
The man his daughters three called dad,
We truly were quite blessed.

Poem by Catherine Pittman (c) 2019