To fathers – past and present.
To the past, a tribute; to the present, an ideal;
Because it would be a truly sad world,
When the best Dads are the dead ones.

“My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and its horsemen!”
A teacher whose words marked the path to the destinies of generations;
Fell along the way, leaving only a silent lifeless landmark
No more will I hear him whisper from behind, “This is the way. Walk in it.”
I refuse to recall the dirge about ‘how the mighty have fallen’;
When I cannot find your trusted well-oiled shield’s protection.

You lent me your shoulders, and I saw beyond the horizon.
You taught me that the way to get there was:
On my knees before dawn;
Not on my back too soon after dusk;
And never idle in-between, or abandon a task.

I will always remember your wounds and the scars they left,
Especially the ones I inflicted, the scariest ones;
The ones that took so long to heal and left such hideous stamps;
The ones you took care to cover as you turned your back to me
Time and time again and said simply, ‘Watch my back, Champ’.

I try to fill your shoes and emulate your strength and poise,
But your feats look bigger with each passing day and step.
It is hard to move in your armour, but I keep trying and testing it,
Because I remember you said you had a hard time in the beginning too.

I’ve heard friends talk about missing hugs that never existed;
But I remember you’ve cracked a few of my ribs with your bear hugs,
Because you missed me after you’ve been away all day,
And more because Mom had called earlier to tell you I’d misbehaved –
You called it the hug of love and justice that makes bad boys into good men.
You made sure I would remember the weight of your arms on my young shoulders;
Whenever you told me about your hopes and desires for me as you praised me;
They made me walk straight because I felt I was supporting the world.

“Our Father who art in heaven,”
I’ve heard that You’re a father to the fatherless,
My father called You “Father”, as do I – fatherless or not.
Help me be a father, much better than my father, and even more like You;
But never a reproach to fatherhood in my walk…please direct my steps.

#Happy Father’s Day

#II Kings 13:14
#II Kings 2:12
#Isaiah 30:21
#II Samuel 1:19-27
#Matthew 6:9
#Psalms 68:5
#Jeremiah 10:23