A FATHER'S LOVE

[Steven Eugene Miller]

It's the smile at the site of his young daughter's birth,

It's a treasure worth all the jewels of this earth,

It's the warmth of his heart at the child's first embrace,

It's the glow he sees on his lovely wife's face,

When she nourishes the child at her swollen breasts,

Before laying her down for a good night’s rest,

It's the awakening in the middle of the night,

To ensure his daughter is breathing all right,

For his first child died years before,

Went to sleep, Woke up at Heaven's Door,

It's the diaper change, shitty stains, the snotting at the nose,

Its dirty hands, crusty feet and filthy ass clothes,

It's the hand that crosses her tiny little butt,

To keep her in line when she's messing up'

It's the weeble wobble as she takes her first walk.

It's the correction of her words when she learns to talk,

It's the holding of her hand as she crosses the street,

While walking to school for her very first week,

It's watching his daughter develop as a girl,

While her mother styles her hair in ribbons and curls,

It's the reading of stories from the "Good Book,"

It's the teaching, when in trouble, To the sky you must look,

For guidance, strength and understanding,

In Jesus Christ, nothing's to demanding,

It's taking that step from girl to young lady,

In her father's eyes, she will always be his baby,

It's watching her loyalties drift apart,

From Daddy's safety to her first love's heart,

It's the feeling of abandonment, hurt and pain,

Each time she mentions the young man's name,

It's betrayal he feels as she spreads her wings

It's the feeling that Daddy's no longer her king,

It's that time in her life when she thinks she's all grown,

And leaves the protection and safety of home,

It's forgiving her failures as she returns,

From an inadequate life and lessons learned,

It's the foresight he sees as his daughter fears,

To tell him, in the near future, her own child she must rear,

It's the wisdom the Great Master has given him,

To accept all her faults and forgive all her sins,

All he asks of her in return,

Is to accept his short-comings and lessons learned,

When days become months and months become years,

A father's words will ring loud and clear,

The firm grasp of an eagle's talon and the sweet songs of the dove,

Are as strong and as soft as A Father's Love.