why is it
that you
could not
show love
to your
daughter?
why is it
that you
could only
feed bitter
herbs to
the family?
why is it
that even
when dying
you couldn’t
find humility
in your soul
to see
her—
to see her
love
beside you
as death ate
your rotting corpse—
even as
you showed
your love
to those
who only
sought out
entitlement?
and now,
long after
you’ve died—
far since
removed
from your
pains and
your fears
do you look
down from
heaven and
see the one
you shunned—
is it a monster,
or the daughter
you could’ve had
if you loved her
the way she loved
me.
© 2026 Tristan Robert Lange. All rights reserved.
First published on tristanrobertlange.com, September 8, 2026.
Tittu
+++
Coming this Macabre Monday
DEVILISHLY DREADFUL
A second season of gothic dread
starting on September 14, 2026
-
Author:
Tristan Robert Lange (
Offline) - Published: September 8th, 2026 07:37
- Comment from author about the poem: Part of the Truth, Applied collection.
- Category: Unclassified
- Views: 4
- In collections: Truth, Applied.
Offline)
Comments3
There’s a damn raw grief and anger here, because the speaker isn’t merely mourning a dead father figure—they’re confronting the cruelty of someone who had the chance to love his daughter and chose entitlement, bitterness, and rejection instead. The final question cuts deepest: “is it a monster, / or the daughter / you could’ve had” turns the poem from accusation into a devastating reckoning with everything that could have existed if he had simply loved her the way she deserved.
Fiercely honest poem here, unflinching with each line refusing to let the past rewrite itself. The poem allowing the daughter to be seen, finally, giving her dignity that she never got from her father. 👍🏻🕊️
beautifully raw and honest my friend
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