A poem called “Jimmy (For you Pops)”
—
My father played piano, my mother sang soprano
He was tall and strong, composed his own life song
Everything a leader should be, a hero to me
Dad stood strong in his convictions and endured some friction
He took life by the horns and found his way
I miss him to this very day, heroes never fade away
Daddy was a real man and I am still his biggest fan
I carry his name, I carry his smile
Proud I gave him a grandchild
He was classic in his style of dress
My Pops was one of the best
He played music to soothe the soul
I listened in admiration at four years old
We disagreed from time to time
Still we shared the same bloodline
In younger years I misunderstood
Older wiser, I realize his intentions were good
I got the call we all dread
Alarms went off inside my head
Time to make that long journey home
I never felt so lost or alone
Soaring through familiar skies
Tears flowed from my eyes
I knew this would end with good byes
The hospital was unfamiliar to me
It felt cold and uninviting
I entered his room and saw him so frail
I am certain I too looked pale still
I sat close, I held his hand
It was so hard to understand
So glad we had our Sunday talks
So pleased he accepted my apology for younger mistakes
So happy he waited for my arrival even though my heart ached
The man who taught music to many
The man who made me laugh
The man who gave me wisdom
When I left my better half
We shared much more than DNA
He left this earth on my birthday
Blue skies nor beautiful clouds couldn’t ease my pain
There was a storm in my heart filled with rain until
Suddenly I had an epiphany and I began to smile
I am my father’s child and life will never be the same
I’m now a much stronger woman
Proudly carrying my father’s name
Photo: Flickr/ Hendrik Wieduwilt