ODE TO MY FATHER
for father’s day
– Kay Watkins
My father, quite the professional
Yet irreverent in the confessional
Making jokes in the Synagogue
As if elevating himself as a demigod
My father, so very wise
Yet would withhold counsel from your eyes
Unless it’s one of him that you ask
He’d hold his opinion hard & fast
My father wasn’t one to give much praise
Nor effusive with affection for most of his days
But when he’d say something of you quite nice
You’d know he meant it
Which would more than suffice
My father pushed us to hold our own
No matter the barrier, he’d see us all grown
Independent & strong as he
Yet able, like Mom, to love tenderly
My father, the man I most respected on earth
(Not just ’cause without him I’d not have my birth)
But for all his talents & character traits
Together a package one can’t emulate
My father, I’ll love all of my days
Who’s sorely missed in every way
But though he’s no longer physically here
He’s forever in my heart & held most dear
Happy Father’s Day, dear Dad
Love always, Kay