My Father

Of all the bitterness life gave him,
All his failures and troubles,
All the times he could not speak,
Because of his life’s vision.

His anger established by his eyes,
His experience tainted with oppression,
Old but with a  unfailing energy,
To support his family.

Whenever I thought I was a man,
His shadow crashed me,
Fear and respect he demanded,
Power he took.

Memories growing up,
Still on my finger tips,
Wondering what creates such men,
What kind will I be?

He weighed down on mum,
He took more that he gave,
Everywhere she looked he overthrew her,
Mum was super forgiving.

His image still lives on,
All sacrifices made to him,
All blessings belong to him,
Sometimes I think he was still a baby.
For him the bottom line was he gave us the best.

Now I am a father,
I choose to love and teach,
I choose to be nothing like him,
I choose to be a better father.