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This is my father with me when I was two years old.My father died on November 26, 1993. It was Thanksgiving Day. I was getting ready to leave to come home and got the call that he had passed away. He had been sick for several years and was 88 years old when he died.
When I first married my son's father, back in the 60s, we lived in Richmond, Kentucky. One day, I was homesick and missing my parents and wrote a poem for my father. I mailed him the poem and he seemed to really enjoy it.
One of my nieces read it at his funeral in 1993. I still have a copy of the poem and am posting it for him today on Father's Day.
To Daddy
Daddy, I spent the afternoon with you today
Even though you are several miles away
You were constantly on my mind
As we traveled back to a bygone time.
I remembered being a little girl
You took me upon your knee
And read the Sunday funny papers
Out loud at night to me
You taught me how to spell my name
Before I started to school
You built a great, big doll house
Beside a concrete swimming pool
I went with you into the field
To milk that old, brown cow
And wandered around impatiently
But how I love that memory now
We picked crates and crates of strawberries
And complained constantly of the heat
But now that I am older
That memory is so sweet
When it came time to set tobacco
On our little piece of land
I dropped the plants, and poured the water
And you, Dad, set it all by hand
Then when the time came
For our tobacco to be sold
You stripped it all in the garage
Where it was so very cold
I used to love to sneak out of the house
And watch you working down there
As I sat upon the tobacco press
Chattering on, without a care.
I remember many days
Dad, just you and me
Pitting cherries or picking gooseberries
In the backyard under that old tree
We also went fishing so many times
Took lunch in your black pail
You always made sure, Dad
I caught a fish without fail.
I guess those days are gone forever
Lost except in memory
But, Dad, I thank you with all my heart
For being such a good father to me
My only hope now that I am older
And as time goes on
Is that I can pass what you gave me
To children of my own.
So this afternoon, Dad, we spent together
wandering back through time
And I loved each and every minute
In the memories of my mind.
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11 comments:
Awwww.. Judy that was lovely, d'you know my Dad died many years ago too and my pal's sister was visiting her from Canada, she was a bit of a fortune teller and when she saw me she said - I can hear someone talking about 'Rosemarie' and music playing .. who is that is that your sister ? It was only afterwards that I made the connection. My Dad, when things were OK and he was feeling a bit chirpy had a habit of bursting into song - it was an ancient one which came from an old black and white musical film - all of a sudden he would sing out - " Oh Rosemarie! I love you"! He couldn't sing and was hopelessly flat! so he was shouted down 'cos it was terrible-but he loved that one and Alice Blue Gown was another song he loved to murder... When I remembered later I felt a bit weird - know what I mean ?
I love the poem. It made me think of my Dad. I used to walk around behind the plow while he was plowing the fields. He would let me disk with the tractor when I was but a child. He could build a house, plumb it, do the electrial work, lay the brick and everything that needed to be done. I learned a lot from him. He died in 1987 with lung cancer. He never smoked at all, but he loved to chew the tobacco. I still miss him.
hay judy, our family settled mercer co. and thier bones are there. do you know the perryville civil war battle field?
some of our families owned that land. their name was Bottom.
our family name was Powell.
if you ever have time click on the link on my web page called powell and read about charles powell and his wife sarah.
if you do read about their divorce. it happen in 1807 and sarah drug it all out in court encluding the fact that charles had misbehaved with her female slave. the records are in the court house.
Judy,
I enjoyed that poem to your dad, very much!
Junie Rose
What a nice thoughtful poem....I'm sure your dad appreciated it.... and if your niece read it at his funeral, I'm sure there were many tears shed....
I love that poem Mom. It's beautiful. Papaw Parker was a wonderful Granddad. I often think about sitting in the swing with him and listening to him sing, "Sweet Chariot" as we kept the birds clear of his garden and his precious tomatoes with a BB gun.
Love,
Rob
A wonderful poem, Judy. I know it must have meant a great deal to your Daddy. He sounds like he was a very special man.
What a wonderful blog entry mom and a wonderful poem written for your Dad. I loved it.
-Anne
What a wonderful poem
All those yummy memories of strawberries and gooseberries, and the joys of having your daddy read to you. I am sure you miss him very much.
The photo is a treasure.
Wow! That was beautiful Mom, just beautiful!
Thank you for reading my blog on Father's Day. I have read many blogs, but have enjoyed yours more than any I have ever read. Your grandson is very lucky to have you for his grandmother. I love the music, set-up and colors you have chosen for your blog.
Happy Blogging and I will read your blogs from time-to-time.
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