“The Dad I Never Knew”
(Tom Entrican, 1/9/2022)
The early years I don’t recall the way that I perceived
But I remember telling friends that he could lift a tree
Today I still marvel at the path that he would choose
And ponder all the mystery of the dad I never knew
The coldness of approach that elicited the pain
And want of approval that I never could obtain
The distance of a silent love that never really grew
But I was never introduced to the dad I never knew
To say I never understood should not be a surprise
The dark and empty thoughts that still live here inside
But over time his aging eyes helped to change my view
As I began to wonder of the dad I never knew
To see he was different than the man I used to see
Sort of made me wonder was there something wrong with me
Was the coldness just a lesson so that I would wonder who
This man who towered over me, the dad I never knew
It really doesn’t matter now; I miss him just the same
Still in my mind I wonder if I understood the game
Perhaps communication would have acted as the glue
And offer better memories of the dad I never knew
And was I any better with the sons I have, now grown
Was there a bridge of ice in me that both of them have known
Trying hard to make sure they didn’t ponder as they grew
So they would never have to say; the dad I never knew
I still remember visiting just before his final flight
I found that the light of God had melted all the ice
The tears washed all the pain and anger from my view
So I could hold on tight to the dad I always knew