HAPPY FATHER’S DAY

Father’s Day is approaching on Sunday 17th June.  A time to celebrate the Dads in our lives that do a tremendous job.  As always, this date may be difficult for those with absent fathers, broken relationships with their fathers or who have lost their fathers.  Much love to all those are struggling with this date.

I set myself the task to write a Father’s Day poem for my dad, John.  But that didn’t work out – I couldn’t finish it!  So like a good artist – I’m going to borrow from another poet.

Here’s a poem dedicated to all fathers.

 

Only a Dad

 

Only a dad, with a tired face,

Coming home from the daily race,

Bringing little of gold or fame,

To show how well he has played the game,

But glad in his heart that his own rejoice

To see him come, and to hear his voice.

 

Only a dad, with a brood of four,

One of ten million men or more.

Plodding along in the daily strife,

Bearing the whips and the scorns of life,

With never a whipper of pain or hate,

For the sake of those who at home await.

 

Only a dad, neither rich nor proud,

Merely one of the surging crowd

Toiling, striving from day to day,

Facing whatever may come his way,

Silent, whenever the harsh condemn,

And bearing it all for the love of them.

 

Only a dad, but he gives his all

To smooth the way for his children small,

Doing, with courage stern and grim,

The deeds that his father did for him.

This is the line that for him I pen,

Only a dad, but the best of men.

 

Edgar Albert Guest