Father's Day

Oh, Daddy, I am not with you
on this Father's Day.
I miss your smell,
your pancakes,
and the funny things you say.
As always, Daddy, I love you;
I am your baby girl.
And this poem is a shout out
to how you've rocked my world.

But Daddy, I'm not with you
'cause I'm in Memphis, Tennessee.
I've been living here for three weeks;
let me tell you what I see.

At ten o'clock I go knocking
on families' little doors.
I'm ministering to the broken,
the lonely,
and the poor.

The mamas come to answer me,
the children show up with a smile.
But they're not always happy;
they haven't seen daddy in a while.

People here need the Father,
of this fact I am sure.
They cry and wallow in sin,
'cause they ain't living in the Word.
But who could help these young boys
and protect these little girls?
Who could make these mothers want
respect and joy in their world?

Oh Daddy, life here could be so sweet
if there were more men like you.
The only dads I see on the street
don't have your worldly view.
They're smoking,
stealing,
fighting,
selling,
and they're not caring for their children.
And Daddy, you've made mistakes, too,
but we ain't been where they've been.

Daddy, more than ever,
I am happy you're in my life.
Your love for me,
my brothers,
and my mother
is beautiful throughout all our strife.
My dream for all the kids here
is that they'd have a daddy just like you.
So I want you to know,
I love you, Daddy,
and thank you for loving me too.