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Daddy's Poem
> >
> >
> > Her hair was up in a pony
tail,
> >
> > Her favorite dress tied with a bow.
>
>
> > Today was Daddy's Day at school,
> >
> >
And she couldn't wait to go.
> >
> >
> > But her
mommy tried to tell her,
> >
> > That she probably should
stay home.
> >
> > Why the kids might not understand,
>
>
> > If she went to school alone.
> >
> >
> > But she was not afraid;
> >
> > She knew just
what to say.
> >
> > What to tell her classmates
> >
> > Of why he wasn't there today.
> >
> >
>
> But still her mother worried,
> >
> > For her to face
this day alone.
> >
> > And that was why once again,
>
>
> > She tried to keep her daughter home.
> >
>
>
> > But the little girl went to school
> >
> >
Eager to tell them all.
> >
> > About a dad she never
sees
> >
> > a dad who never calls.
> >
>
>
> > There were daddies along the wall in back,
> >
> > For everyone to meet.
> >
> > Children
squirming impatiently,
> >
> > Anxious in their seats
>
>
> >
> > One by one the teacher called
> >
> > a student from the class.
> >
> > To introduce
their daddy,
> >
> > As seconds slowly passed.
> >
> >
> > At last the teacher called her name,
> >
> > Every child turned to stare.
> >
> > Each of
them was searching,
> >
> > a man who wasn't there.
>
>
> >
> > "Where's her daddy at?"
> >
>
> She heard a boy call out.
> >
> > "She probably doesn't
have one,"
> >
> > Another student dared to shout.
>
>
> >
> > And from somewhere near the back,
> >
> > She heard a daddy say,
> >
> > "Looks like
another deadbeat dad,
> >
> > Too busy to waste his
day."
> >
> >
> > The words did not offend
her,
> >
> > As she smiled up at her Mom.
> >
> > And looked back at her teacher,
> >
> > Who
told her to go on.
> >
> > And with hands behind her
back,
> >
> > Slowly she began to speak.
> >
> > And out from the mouth of a child,
> >
> > Came
words incredibly unique.
> >
> >
> > "My Daddy
couldn't be here,
> >
> > Because he lives so far away
.
> >
> > But I know he wishes he could be,
> >
> > Since this is such a special day.
> >
> >
> > And though you cannot meet him,
> >
> > I
wanted you to know.
> >
> > All about my daddy,
> >
> > And how much he loves me so.
> >
> >
>
> He loved to tell me stories
> >
> > He taught me to ride
my bike.
> >
> > He surprised me with pink roses,
>
>
> > And taught me to fly a kite.
> >
> >
> > We used to share fudge sundaes,
> >
> > And ice
cream in a cone.
> >
> > And though you cannot see
him.
> >
> > I'm not standing here alone.
> >
> >
> > "Cause my daddy's always with me,
> >
> > Even though we are apart
> >
> > I know because
he told me,
> >
> > He'll forever be in my heart"
>
>
> > With that, her little hand reached up,
> >
>
> And lay across her chest.
> >
> > Feeling her own
heartbeat,
> >
> > Beneath her favorite dress.
> >
> >
> > And from somewhere here in the crowd of
dads,
> >
> > Her mother stood in tears.
> >
> > Proudly watching her daughter,
> >
> > Who was
wise beyond her years.
> >
> >
> > For she stood up
for the love
> >
> > Of a man not in her life.
> >
> > Doing what was best for her,
> >
> > Doing what
was right.
> >
> >
> > And when she dropped her
hand back down,
> >
> > Staring straight into the
crowd.
> >
> > She finished with a voice so soft,
>
>
> > But its message clear and loud.
> >
> >
> > "I love my daddy very much,
> >
> > he's my
shining star.
> >
> > And if he could, he'd be here,
>
>
> > But heaven's just too far.
> >
> >
> > You see he is a Marine
> >
> > And died just
this past year
> >
> > When a roadside bomb hit his
convoy
> >
> > And taught Americans to fear.
> >
> > But sometimes when I close my eyes,
> >
> >
it's like he never went away."
> >
> > And then she closed
her eyes,
> >
> > And saw him there that day.
> >
> >
> > And to her mothers amazement,
> >
>
> She witnessed with surprise.
> >
> > A room full of
daddies and children,
> >
> > All starting to close their
eyes.
> >
> >
> > Who knows what they saw before
them,
> >
> > Who knows what they felt inside.
> >
> > Perhaps for merely a second,
> >
> > They saw
him at her side.
> >
> >
> > "I know you're with me
Daddy,"
> >
> > To the silence she called out.
> >
> > And what happened next made believers,
> >
> >
Of those once filled with doubt.
> >
> >
> > Not
one in that room could explain it,
> >
> > For each of their
eyes had been closed.
> >
> > But there on the desk beside
her,
> >
> > was a fragrant long-stemmed pink rose.
>
>
> >
> > And a child was blessed, if only for a
moment,
> >
> > by the love of her shining star.
> >
> > And given the gift of believing,
> >
> > that
heaven is never too far.
> >
> >
> > They say it
takes a minute to find a special
> >
> > person, an hour to
appreciate them,
> >
> > a day to love them, but then an
entire
> >
> > life to forget them.
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