Where Did The Time Go?

I know you've heard it before

I'll say it once more

Time flies out the window

sadly dad,

you were ignorant to this info

You were a soldier

pops you were my hero

you were everything I wanted to be

I don't have anything against the military

it wasn't them who took you from me

It was the drugs, the cheating,

staying away from your family weeks at a time

While mom was left working overtime

8 to 4, 9 to 5,

tryna feed your kids at dinner time

It began 15 years ago

my dad said son I need to go.

Thoughts racing through my mind

I asked 20 questions at one time.

What are you doing?

Where are you going?

Whats it going to be?

Will you forget about me?

He said son you won't understand

until you become a man

You'll look back then realize

this is part of the plan

I looked down at my feet

to hide the tears rolling down my cheek

I'll be back before you know it

then we can grab that old ball and throw it

Stand up straight, don't cry

you’re my little soldier till the day that I die

I'll see you soon son

don't worry I'll come home

The days came and went so fast

turning to weeks before they passed

Months became Years

Middle school, high school, girls, sports

graduations, birthdays, grades, reports

You missed it all

No matter how high my grades

how hard I played

I felt so small cuz

you missed it all

I know you've heard it before

I'll say it once more

Time flies out the window

sadly dad,

you were ignorant to this info

You were absent 

you were no longer my hero

you were everything I never wanted to be

Then oke day you got the courage to call

saying Wow son you're getting old

I was about twenty now

all I could say

I thought you said you were coming home someday?

You told me you were sorry

how much you wish you could

turn back the hands of time

and undo all the pain

that we were put through

plead that you’d payed your dues

for the crimes you’d chose

guess I believed the news

next think I knew

I was on a plane

on my way to you

the clock was brutal

grey hairs and a cane hid your age

inside I was still full of rage

but within your eyes I saw regret

your face was etched with it

so I agreed to stay

we tried to forge a bond that wasn’t there

things were rocky

we argued harshly

slowly things began to shift

you taught me about life

told me stories from when I was kid

we began to close the rift

a few weeks, then a few months 

our relationship began to thrive

but something went wrong

the hour glass was emptying on your life

faster than we could make up for lost time

the clock was ticking

while your heart was skipping beats

straight to the hospital I took you

nurses, even doctors too

couldn’t figure out what was wrong

they put you on the stretcher

said you’d need surgery

and began to roll you out the room

what more could a kid do?

watching the man who left him

go out the door again

I had to forgive you

cuz I couldn’t let you die... still hating you

I grabbed you by the hand

said I love you man

and that I’d see you soon...

I know you've heard it before but  I'll say it once more

Time flies out the window

sadly dad,

I was ignorant to this info

I was angry

and I took you for granted

Hope the next time I see you is under better circumstances