He Was Just A Small Town Maritime Man

I'll never forget that summer day
I called him and said, "What did the doctors say?"
My Papa paused for a moment and whispered,
"Well, honey, it's cancer."

Fighting a downhill battle
My Papa still stayed strong
But God must have let him know
Now Heaven's where you belong

We all ask why, but we won't ever know
Why it had to be him that we had to let go
Because though it was hard to try and keep him here
It was harder still to watch him disappear

Always so loving, so smart, so kind
If only there was a way to rewind
And re-live the moments that I didn't realize
Were priceless, beautiful, something to prize

I learned how to fish, have patience, and be me
To be tolerant and understanding of all that I see
Appreciate the little things, like a good glass of rum
To enjoy Nan's pumpkin pie, down to the last crumb

Or a rusty old Ford, down a hidden dirt trail
To a lake that provided so many good tales
Of good times passed, lessons learned, fish caught
The kind of memories that could never be bought

He told me not to be sad, he said he'd had a great life
Two children, grandchildren, and a beautiful wife
He told me how proud he was of the family that had grown
And came together so strongly to face the unknown

God, take my Papa, erase his pain
I only ask that you let his spirit remain
To inspire us all to become the best we can be
And maybe one day live up to his legacy

Papa, if you can hear us, we'll always love you
And remember your wisdom in all that we do
We know that you're with us, in your own special way
And I know that we will see you again someday