My Father's Son

my father sat beside me as we headed down the river he was not strong but he was still a man oh he could fell the timber and he could plow a furrow but many things he could not understand he could not say I love you but he knew the darkest forest and he knew the lonely place I had to go and he could not travel with me far beyond the river valley nor teach me all the things I had to know yes he was like the mountain that I had to face alone like many things I'll never understand but I told him that I loved him and his eyes filled with tears as he looked up at a strong but lonely man