Dear Pop

Once you had told me
When you were gone
I'd pick up the pieces
I would go on

But you forgot to mention
One tiny detail
Some things aren't easy
And sometimes I might fail

There's times when the world
Seems to rest on my shoulders
Not another year wiser
Just another year older

I try to recall
All you had to teach
I probably seemed to
Be way out of reach

Hold your head high
And always be strong
Never let it show when
Things are going wrong

Have a firm hand
But a gentle touch
Use force as a tool
Never a crutch

Bite your lip
Before you cry
Always tell the truth
And never tell a lie

Be a good man
Take care of your nest
Always be sure
To do your best

Be hard to shove
Stick out your chest
You can always love
But never go through the test

Of your family and yourself
Always be proud
Be a leader
Never follow the crowd

Teach you girls goodness
And your boys to be strong
Let them know any road
Worth taking may be long

Thank God every day
For all that he gives you
Follow him always
In everything you do

Take some advice
Only when needed
But use your own mind
That's how things get succeeded

I realize now how
Right you were
Every day seems to get harder
Every year is a blur

An old man giving lectures
Is all I had thought
There were lessons to learn
And lessons to be taught

I grasped one here
I grasped one there
As you lectured and preached
While you sat in your chair

I never realized
You were on my side
Even when you
Tanned my hide

I wish I would've listened
More when you were alive
But with all you've left me
I have learned to survive

I'm thanking you now
Even though it's too late
And hopefully I'll see
You at Heaven's great gate

Love,
Your Son