The Dad I Never Knew

“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