Member Poem

He drank all the time
It was a mystery how he functioned
He managed to make it to work
To keep his job
Once home, though, he was a hollow soul
He had a little girl who desperately needed his love
He treated her as if she were invisible
Each night she’d sit on the floor at his feet
Paper and crayons spread before her
She would put her heart into a new picture
Proud of her work she’d say
“Daddy, look please”
His glazed eyes saw nothing
His mouth offered no praise
Just mumbling, “I used to have a brother, you know”
Sadly, she walked to her room
Tucked her latest creation into a book
Crawled into bed with tears in her eyes
Night after night she tried to gain his attention
Always met with the same neglect
Year after year passed and nothing changed
Oh, she moved from crayons, to markers to pencils
Her art a natural gift
Each evening , she’d create a new piece
Every night, “Daddy, look please”
His same blindness to present, reality
His tongue incapable of compliment
Murmuring, “I used to have a brother you know”
Today, she turned 18
At his feet she rested
Pencils and pad, set to task
Completed, she placed the picture in his lap
Kissed him on the forehead, tearful flow
The scene, a woman with suitcase in hand
The title:
“You used to have a daughter you know”
And she walked out the door.