Daddy
The first man in your life,
who would carry you upstairs,
and tuck you in.
He scared away the monsters
under the bed,
and closed the closet door
to keep the bear inside.
He holds you up to touch the ceiling,
or to make a slam dunk.
He would play checkers or basketball
and let you win every time.
He would take training wheels on and off,
and run along beside your bike,
keeping it erect,
only letting go when you were ready.
He taught you how to tie your shoes,
with a tale about a rabbit, a tree, and a hole.
He gladly holds your legs up
when you are too little to squat.
He teaches you to throw a ball,
catch bugs and frogs,
dig up worms, skip a rock,
and build a fire with out a match.
He teaches you to drive,
change a tire and the oil,
to fix a lightswitch, and a lawn mower.
He tenderly kisses
a skinned knee
and tapes a broken toe.
He holds you on his lap,
when you Prince is gone,
even thought you're really too big.
He also cries,
as he walks you down the aisle,
to the new man,
and he wonders,
if he is good enough.
His knowledge is an open book,
to give willingly and with love.
When he can no longer
help with his hands,
he helps with his words ,
and his heart.
My daddy is an amazing man.
He is a mason, a carpenter,
a mechanic, a teacher,
a gardener, an outdoorsman,
and a disciplinarian,
even though it hurt him more than me.
A father gives his money,
but a daddy gives
his heart and soul.
Even though I am grown,
I still have a daddy
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