To My Father

Finding photograph Father and I Fishing Smiling Laughing Crying Relating Memories Once forgotten Now Surfacing God's country Home to the youth of yesterday Waking up Another breath of fresh air Earthy slimy worms Caught with the hands of this child Now a sumptuous breakfast Fish biting all of the time A wonderful adventure Father and son Enjoying Now A flood of memories Dad throwing the ball and My not catching it And the next one And the next And the next Patience The art of learning through mistakes 'I caught it, Dad' Reverberating in my mind Papa recounting stories His trials and tribulations My listening attentively Desperately trying Not to cry Papa taught me that real men never cry Holding back the tears is so perverse Dad working hard saving for a rainy day Living for today so much easier Daddy reading Bedtime story Stormy weather Campfire burning all night Throughout