My Dad Was Tall – A Poem
Visiting with extended family this week, and especially seeing my dad’s younger sister Dot, reminded me of how much I miss my dad. He died Oct. 25, 1993; he was far too young when he died, if you ask me. I always miss him, but talking about him, hearing stories of when he was young, and looking at old family photos with him in them has kind of been hard and made me miss him even more. So I decided to write a poem about him.
My Dad Was Tall
My dad was tall
and handsome, too
He had a lot of sisters
but only one younger brother
He was even taller
My dad always smiled
a big, friendly smile
with sparkling eyes
But sometimes he was serious
when he needed to be
My dad was in the Merchant Marines
serving his country in the war
He loved the sea
and he loved to travel
to see exotic places
My dad took my mom
to Niagra Falls for their honeymoon
He was quite a catch, she thought
He was blessed to have her
and missed her when she was gone
My dad was an auto mechanic
He owned his own shop
and was excellent at his trade
He learned it from his dad
He was tall, too
My dad was a talker
He would walk around a campground
and talk to all the campers
complete strangers
but he was friendly just the same
My dad loved fishing
whether for bullhead in Lake Marina
when I was just a kid
sturgeon trolling in Oregon
or fly fishing at Yellowstone
My dad loved his children
all five of us, a son and four daughters
Some of us gave him a little trouble
but we all loved him, too
We all love him still
9/10/11 Update – I linked this to dVerse Poets Pub as an example of a poem dealing with loss in response to the Saturday prompt Poetics – In Memoriam.
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Uncle Bob — love this
Such a sweet tribute. Your dad sounds absolutely lovely.
He was pretty awesome.
I debt of gratitude to have shared this, a lovely write indeed, simple yet, rich perfect in every way
Thanks! I’m glad you liked it. 🙂 I had to rescue your comment from my spam filter. Peace, Linda
You Dad sounds like such a wonderful person and so full of love. I can see why you miss him so much. This is so heart warming a poem in his honor that he would be proud of you and how much you love him
http://gatelesspassage.com/2011/09/11/the-sorrow-of-our-times/
Sarah, Thank you. I’m glad I was able to capture in this poem how wonderful he truly was. I will check out your poem, too. Peace, Linda
Your Dad sounds like my Dad…many of your lines brought a sincere smile, but combined, they brought a tear. Wonderful share!
Tash, I’m glad this was a wonderful reminder to you! What a blessing to have experienced Dads like ours. 🙂 Peace, Linda
Lovely tribute to your dad, we all deal with pain in different ways, poetry is my escape too.
Thank you. I before last year I wrote very little poetry, and what I had written before was not very good at all. I’m finding lately that it is a wonderful means of expressing and understanding my own feelings. Peace, Linda
*hug* I don’t think we ever get over missing what we have lost. Beautiful memoriam.
🙂 thanks for the hug. I know I will never stop missing my Dad until I see him again. Peace, Linda
sounds like your dad was an awesome man…thanks for introducing him to us with such fine words linda…each line speaks of love and admiration
Claudia, It makes me smile to see that so many have enjoyed this introduction to this man I love so much. Peace, Linda
Linda – you were blessed to have a good father – this is a fine tribute to his memory
Arron, Thanks. He was a good father and I miss him a lot. It’s funny, though, that in some ways it’s like I see him every day because my son is so like him in many ways even though they have never met. Peace, Linda
smiles. and a tear. this brought back for me the death of my MIL a couple years ago and the process it has been for my wife in letting go and still holding on to the memories and beauty of the person that she was…
Brian, I love how poetry can mean one thing to the writer, but then those who read it get something more. I trust the tear was a good one because it came with a beautiful memory. Peace, Linda
Hi Linda. Thanks for sharing your memories of your dad with the folks at the dVerse pub. This is how we keep our loved ones who have passed on alive: their spirit burns like a flame within our hearts, and when we let it shine out of us that light and warmth lives on to help others.
Mark, Thanks, I’m glad you liked it. I hope that he is never forgotten. Peace, Linda
Linda,
What a great poem, your daddy would be proud. I lost my mom a year after you lost your dad, and I miss her and think of her often too. In this world where often dad’s are not around, I am glad you had a good one. God Bless
Jim
Jim, Thanks. Sorry to hear about your mom. Some days I feel like an orphan because both of my parents are gone, but I know they both loved me. Peace, Linda
How wonderful it would be to have such a father!
While I had three “fathers” I never had a father . . . . . but praise God, 53 years ago, I was adopted by the Creator God into His own family and the Father I have now far, far, faaaaaaaaar exceeds the best any earthly father could be.
What an amazing God!
Angela, My dad wasn’t perfect, but he was pretty awesome for a dad. I’m so glad you were able to find our Heavenly Father in spite of your bad experiences with earthly fathers. I know there are people who have a hard time accepting God as Father because of their experiences with humans. Our God is amazing, indeed! Peace, Linda
>> “I know there are people who have a hard time accepting God as Father”
Yes Linda, sadly way too many, but it was the idea of having a PERFECT Father that appealed to me so much, and over many years of counselling abused people I have found that this is the one thing that touches most of them. They run from the idea of an earthly father but fully embrace a PERFECT Father whose one concern is their well-being.
Linda! ; ) I just LOVE this poem!
In all its simplicity and sweetness, I feel like I’ve met your dad, and would have enjoyed knowing him. The one year anniversary of my own dad’s death is this Friday, and I wish I knew him that well.
You and your dad were both very blessed. Hugs… : )
Linda, My dad and I were very close, and he loved me even when I gave him grief. (Kind of like our Heavenly Father). I remember when I was in college my favorite thing to get in the mail was a note from my dad saying “Here’s some mad money for you. Don’t tell your mom.” And there would be a $20 bill in the envelope. But it was never the money that was important to me, but the fact that he thought about me and took the time to send it. I will keep you in my prayers for peace and comfort this coming Friday and you think about your own dad. Peace, Linda
Thanks for sharing your Dad with us, Linda…I can see why you miss him the way you do.
What Deb said.
Blessings,
ann
Ann, thanks. 🙂 He was a good guy. I think of him often and have pictures of him in my office at work. Plus it’s like I see him every day when I look at my son, who is a lot like him. Peace, Linda
This is such a beautiful heart felt tribute to your dad. Thank you so much for writing it and sharing it. It blessed me to know these things about him and to know how much you love him.
God bless you and comfort you as you honor your dad yet today.
Deb, I’m glad you enjoyed the poem. As I wrote it Sat. morning it became clear why nothing had come to me for a Sat. post before that (plus the fact that I was so busy all week!) Peace, Linda