Her hair 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
on this Daddy's Day
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 were searching
for 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 at her friends
And looked back at her teacher
who told her to begin
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
with me on this 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 all alone
'Cause my daddy's always with me
even though we are apart
I know because he told me
he'll forever be here in my heart"
With that her little hand reached up
and lay across her chest
Feeling her own heartbeat
beneath her favorite dress
From somewhere in the crowd of dads
her mother stood in tears
Proudly watching her daughter
who was wise beyond her years
She stood up for the love of a man not in her
life
Doing what was best for her
doing what was right
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
If he could he'd be here
but heaven's just too far
Sometimes when I close my eyes
it's like he never went away"
Then she closed her eyes
and saw him there that day
To her mother's 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 a second
they saw him at her side
"I know you're with me Daddy"
to the silence she called out
What happened next made believers
of those once filled with doubt
No one in that room could explain it
for each of their eyes had been closed
But there placed on her desktop
was a beautiful fragrant pink rose
A child was blessed, if only a moment
by the love of her shining bright star
And given the gift of believing
that heaven is never to FAR
Title of Poem
" Daddy's Day"
Author
© 2000 Cheryl Costello-Forshey
Email
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~ Daddy's Girl ~
