44+ Poems About Death Of A Father: Griefing & Emotional

In the heart of each of us, father has a very important and irreplaceable position, if mother is likened to earth, then father is also heaven, the one who has worked hard to raise us till adulthood. He has sacrificed for us without caring about his youth, health, so that we can have a happy and prosperous life later.

Father may not be as close and caring to us as mother, but he is the one who makes the silent sacrifice, the one who covers up for us and is always by our side when we are in trouble. Father is also our childhood hero, the one who had protected us throughout our early years, guided us through adulthood, and taught us what’s right.

If anyone loses a father, it is a great loss and nothing can make up for it. Although it can be difficult to find words to express how we feel when a father is dead, poetry can replace the words and bring comfort to all of us. So poems about death of a father will help to express our feelings for your father.

1, God For A Day © William Thomas Fearby

If I could be god for just one single day
I would take pain and suffering and banish it away
Killing and war would finish at last
Starvation and dying a thing of the past

There would be no more fighting with your fellow man
No greed no religion no colour ban
The world would live in harmony no reason to fight
Surely one God would make it easier to unite

No more of our children would be left to suffer
The loss of the love of their father or mother
Love can be the only religion to rule our life
Love doesn’t carry a gun or a knife

Open your eyes and look what we have done
We created a world where our God is a gun
Our religions the same whoever you maybe
We were put on this world to live our life free

Instead of the killing we must learn to love
This is the message I would send from above
You don’t need me to tell you where we are going wrong
To change our world we all must be strong

If you feel you need to pray to a prophet or a God
Remember one thing you may think this sounds quite odd
Did you ask God to kill someone or did you offer him love
I don’t need to tell you the answer you got that from above

It doesn’t matter what God you pray to it could be you or me
Until we listen to our hearts we will never be able to see
That killings not the answer it’s to love that holds the key
To remove all the shackles and finally set us free

2, Dad, What’s It Like In Heaven? © Patricia A. Fleming

If time exists in heaven,
Do you still rise with the sun?
Do you and Mom share breakfast
Before your day has begun?

Can the heavens hear your laughter
As you sit and reminisce
About the time we had together
And other people that you miss?

And Daddy, do you still take walks
Along heaven’s seas?
And when you gaze upon the surf,
Do you remember walks with me?

Are your standing with those brave young men
Upon its perfect shores?
Finally by their sides again,
Your comrades from the war.

Do you gather with your family
Beneath heaven’s glow?
And gaze upon those mountains still
That once you called your home.

Is music all around you,
All those songs you held so dear?
Do you and Mom still sing together,
The way you did when you were here?

Do you ever have long talks with God
About those left behind?
Do you tell him all the stories
Of all our grand and treasured times?

I think that heaven must be grateful
To have you there each day,
To bring your easy laughter
And your silly sense of play.

And I’m sure that God already knows
The special father you had been
And how I wish that you were here
To guide my way again.

But I carry you inside my heart.
You are never far from me.
I see you in my smile
And in who I grew to be.

And I’m sure that on this Father’s Day
God will help you celebrate
All those dads who changed the world with love.
What a party that will make!

3, For My Daddy © Christina Caburnay

Have you seen my Daddy?
I don’t know where he’s gone.
Sometimes it hurts so much
I can’t seem to carry on.

I hear he doesn’t look quite the same.
He doesn’t need much rest.
The IV and medications are all gone;
In fact, he looks his best.

Is he playing tag with his parents
In that place way up high?
Or is he napping in God’s garden
Where the beautiful in hammocks lie?

Some say he is always watching.
I hope this to be true
And that one day he’ll return to me
And say, “I’ve come for you.”

Have you seen my Daddy?
I imagine he’s doing okay,
Though it hurts to know
I can’t call him every day.

I really miss my Daddy.
I wasn’t ready to say goodbye.
It will never be the same.
Years from now, I know I’ll cry.

I bet God is with my Daddy,
Wrapped up in His arms,
Sheltered from all illness and sorrow,
Keeping him from harm.

I bet he sees us mourning
But would want us to smile
And tell us our time part
Is only a little while

I’ll never quite understand
Why your time here was so small,
But you said you’ll always be there
To catch me when I fall.

I miss you so much, Daddy,
But I hope and pray
That when it’s my time, you’ll come for me.
I’ll see you again someday.

I guess it was meant to be
That your work here on Earth was done.
Now your life in paradise
Has only just begun.

Tears that I weep and prayers
Will hopefully travel very far
To reach my loving daddy
Sitting among the stars.

4, Goodbye Dad © Leanne Brady

It’s never the right time
To say goodbye.
I will miss you, Dad,
And here is why.
You taught me so much:
To show no fear,
To always have fun,
And face the day with cheer.

You were always so able,
So fast and so strong.
In your little girl’s eyes
You could do no wrong.
You would always listen,
And you never pried.
You were the arms around me
When I cried.

You never looked for praises,
And you were never one to boast.
You were always there
For those you loved the most.

You worked so hard,
And those strong working hands
Led me through life
And helped me understand
That life can be hard,
And tough, and sad,
But through it all
I had my Dad.

And because of you,
I understood
That life was actually
Pretty good.
I believe in you
And will follow your path,
And when things go wrong,
I’ll look back and laugh.

I hope you can hear me
So I can let you know
That you were and will forever
Be my superhero.
So yes, today
I am full of sorrow,
But I will smile a little more
With each tomorrow.

So please, Dad, go
Be at rest
And know to me
You were always the best.

5, Can’t Accept That You’re Gone © Jamie A. Cirello

I hate that I can’t see your face,
except for a picture on my mirror.

But I love that when I look at it,
I feel you are near.

I hate that you can’t speak to me
when I mention the word “DAD.”

But I love the way your voice is in my memory
from all the talks we had.

I hate that God took you so soon,
when I still needed you here.

But I love the thought of you at peace,
no more pain and no more fear.

I hate not knowing for sure
what happens when you die.

But I really love to believe
there is a heaven past the sky.

The thing I love to hate the most
is when people think I’m so strong.

But it actually only seems that way because
I can’t accept the fact that you really are gone!

6, The Day My Father Died © Mervyn Morris

The day my father died
I could not cry;
My mother cried,
Not I.

His face on the pillow
In the dim light
Wrote mourning to me,
Black and white.

We saw him struggle,
Stiffen, relax;
The face fell empty,
Dead as wax.

I’d read of death
But never seen.
My father’s face, I swear,
Was not serene.

Topple that lie,
However appealing:
That face was absence
Of all feeling.

My mother’s tears were my tears,
Each sob shook me:
The pain of death is living,
The dead are free.

For me my father’s death
Was mother’s sorrow;
That day was her day,
Loss was tomorrow.

7, My Dad © Disarae G. Kuhn

I know this man
Who is dear to my heart.
Suddenly one day
It was torn all apart.

This man taught me everything
That I needed to know,
But I never really listened
Until he had to go.

He gave me love
And touched my life.
It’s all over now;
He no longer has to fight.

He tried to teach me
Right from wrong.
The day he left
I wasn’t that strong.

He is gone now,
It is hard to believe.
This man is my dad
Whom I will never see.

But I will see him again,
This I know.
The day will come
When it’s time for me to go.

So, I’ll hold him dear
And close to my heart
‘Cause the day we meet
I know we’ll never be torn apart

8, To My Daddy, On Your Birthday © Danniele Berkley

Today was the day
So many years ago
You came into this world,
Bringing a special glow.

So full of love
And laughter so loud.
Thinking of you today,
You still make us proud.

Daddy, I know you’re watching,
I know your looking down.
Your birthday is today,
And although you’re not around,

It doesn’t stop our thoughts
And never stops our prayers.
I am sending birthday wishes
To my angel upstairs.

9, Father © Jodi M. Kucera

Forever in my heart,
Always on my mind.
Together again we will be, all in God’s time.
Heaven gained another angel the day you left.
Eternity promises you much needed rest.
Rest now, Daddy, I’ll be okay because I carry you with me every single day.

10, Father © Ang Singh

Father father why did you leave me?
I felt so alone the day you left me.
My life became some thing empty and pointless.
In a world full of hate, pain confusion so much madness.
I sit in my room and reminisce of happy days spent with you.
The joys and smiles we shared together.
With lots of laughter, there were never tears.
These memories I will cherish always.
And hold close to my heart forever.
I try hard to plod on.
In a life that’s full of so much anger,
anguish and even hate.
Now that your gone.
We are missing the most important person.
It’s you father, our number one.
when you was here.
Family was complete happy even sweet.
Now that your gone.
We will always feel your love missed.
By me and the greater family.
So father its goodbye for now.
Until our paths cross again.
And become as ONE.

11, Absent Father © Mulamuleli Tshitangano

I stood by the gate looking at the empty road ahead of me
Admiring other kids running to their father with open arms
They shower them with kisses and long embrace
I stand there tall crying,
Hoping that you will avail yourself and shower me with love like other kids
But there were no trace of you

Mommy cried herself to sleep daily
Embracing me giving hope you will return I should always wait for you at the gate
I got tired of waiting
Mommy was a living dead
But trying to remain strong for me

We live on hand out of people
Sometimes went to bed with butterfly in stomach
Our home become hole of shame
Man after man visit our households,
Because mommy was trying all by means to provide for me
They manhandled her but she remains silent
They used me because I was voiceless

She died a warrior
I got rapped by ruthless man in our society
Telling me am a daughter of disgraced woman
Today,am a graduate
You avail yourself claiming you are the father

Where were you when mommy struggled day and night to meet my needs
Where were you when I first see my periods
Where were you when I was being raped by older man to be my grandfather’s
Today you claim to be my father.
Am a fatherless daughter of a warrior mother who died trying than faking

12, Let Go Dad, Give In © Denise N. Thorndale

My darling Dad, you suffered
More than we could bear to see.
“Please let go, Dad; give in.
Your soul then can be free.”

The morphine never touched you.
You would cry out loud with pain.
“Please let go, Dad; give in.”
Yet you fought and fought again.

“I’m scared to leave your Mother,”
You had said the week before.
“Please let go, Dad; give in.”
But you stayed to fight some more.

“I think the cancer’s winning.”
It was true, Dad, and you knew.
“Please let go, Dad; give in,”
And finally we got through.

A silent tear fell down your cheek
As you now took you last.
You let go, Dad; you gave in.
Your life then came to pass.

I’ve cried a million teardrops
And then a million more.
My heart is just so shattered.
My soul is on the floor.

When I am back within your arms
And I feel your warm embrace,
“Don’t let go, Dad; hold me, keep me
Your baby girl forevermore.”

13, Dear Dad by Unknown

Dear Dad, I can’t believe it’s been two years;
It feels like it was only yesterday.
I wish you were still here,
But the sky is the place you stay.

Dear Dad, it would make me ever so glad
If I could see you just once more.
To tell you how much I love you
And how you left me ever so sore.

Dear Dad, I remember the times we had together,
All the good times we had at the park;
The games we played, the laughs we shared,
And you taught me not to be afraid of the dark.

Dear Dad, I remember your infectious smile,
The days, we sat and watched the sky.
The times things didn’t go my way,
You’d wipe the tears out of my eye.

Dear Dad, you always made me feel so special.
Your heart was always open wide,
And I conquered my fear of heights
With my dad, by my side.

Dear Dad, whenever I became stuck,
You always helped me find my way.
My Dad, My Dad, My precious Dad,
To me, you are the hope of every day.

Dear Dad, I still miss you every day.
It feels so empty without you
Although your spirit still lives on,
Without your presence, I feel so blue.

Dear Dad, I want you to know,
You are my Dad and also my hero.
Even though you are not here,
Your memories will always glow.

I miss you, Dear Dad.

14, Not Ready For Goodbye © Megan Adams

I’m not ready for goodbye,
Nor so long or see ya later.
Not ready for the end,
Not ready for this reality.
I’m not ready for this life,
one without you in it.
I’m not ready for your goodbye.
maybe someone else’s,
anyone else’s,
just not yours,
never ever yours.
Death doesn’t become you,
It isn’t your best color,
So could they change the prognosis,
Tell me it was just a mistake,
Just another misdiagnosis.
Please remind me you are indestructible,
just like we always used to believe,
Tell me you are still my guardian,
And still going to be living.
Please tell me daddy,
You will still always be my best friend.
Please tell me you will never leave me,
And you will be here till the end.
Tell me I’m having a nightmare,
And I will wake up in the morning,
With all these things being nothing but another forgotten dream.
Tell me you will always love me,
And stay with me,
My selfishness wants you to always stay by my side.
Knowing that you are going to be gone,
Won’t make your leaving any easier.
I love you too much daddy,
Infinity and Beyond.

15, I Hope I Make You Proud, Dad © Jodie Ogle

I hope I make you proud, Dad; even though you’re no longer here,
Your memory grows stronger with every passing year.

At the end it was a battle, one you weren’t to win.
A fight against a demon, no choice but to give in.

I wish I could’ve said goodbye, that morning when you left,
Told you you were my hero and that you were the best.

Tears I cry in secret at night before I sleep,
Wishing you were beside me, you’d be forever here to keep.

The years don’t make it easier; they said the pain would go.
It seems I’ve just got better not letting my feelings show.

Wishing I could hold your hand to shout your name aloud.
You’re no longer here, Dad, but I hope I make you proud.

16, My Darling Dad © Sandra Hearth

I wrap my mouth to shut in the sound.
I cry so much, so deep, so profound.

I cannot comprehend that you are gone,
Gone forever, so cruel, so wrong.

I cannot live with so much pain,
My tears flow like never-ending rain.

I close my eyes, I cannot cope,
I am falling, I’m on a downward slope.

I cannot stop this hurt inside.
I cannot remember, I need to hide.

I picture you, I see your face,
But no longer near, just an empty space.

No more hugs or talks or time,
No more your voice saying all will be fine.

I have no one now to turn to,
I look, I search, but I cannot find you.

How do I get through this? It feels so surreal.
I am numb, I cannot feel.

I lose my breath, I cannot sleep.
My days are dark, and all I do is weep.

People say time will help, it will heal,
This is life, it is real.

There is now a hole; I am now brokenhearted.
It actually split the moment we parted.

I held your face, I saw you leave.
Now I am here alone to grieve.

My darling dad I miss you, it is true.
Forever and a day, I will always love you.

17, Keeping My Daddy With Me © Lisa Gardner

My heart changed when you left.
Time froze and I wanted to hide.
It was a moment that will stay with me forever…
the day my Daddy died.
I am remembering good times
and forgetting all of the bad…
holding onto special times and the laughter we had.
I am living for today,
because it is what I must do…
but that does not stop me from thinking about you.
I will love you always and forever.
One day, Heaven will bring us together.
So watch over us Daddy, as I know you do,
and I will keep remembering how much I love you.

18, Heaven’s Not That Far © Julie A. Case

I have no words that can express
How much love I have for you.
You taught me everything I know,
Through the years as I grew.

I know you had to leave this world;
I’ll try to understand.
It’s hard to get used to
Not having you here to hold my hand.

But I know when I look up in the sky,
You must be amongst those bright stars
Shining down from heaven.
It may seem a great distance,
But it’s really not that far.

So now that you’re an angel,
Please help me if you can
To continue growing while I’m here on earth,
In this strange, mysterious land.

You will always be my father
Forever in my heart.
Time seems to go so quickly.

It will not be much longer
That we will be apart.

19, My Father © Arka T Chakrvarty

Father called me.
It was the onset of the Spring.
He called me from the high mountains ,
From the depth of the oceans ,
From the ripples of the ponds .
He became the air, the birds, the sky.
Father called me from the wilds ,
From the throbbing galaxies ,
From the end to the beginning of time.
Father became eternity.
Like wind he brushed my shoulders.
Like the rain he made me smile with the tears.
Like the rainbow he appeared to meet me when I sigh.
He smiled with the stars ,and guided my path,
Like a roaring sun ,
Like the staff of Moses .
Father is the herald of the dawn.

20, Forever And Always © Sandra Hearth

Life can change in a single breath.
Life can be crushed when we are faced with death.

It tears families apart,
It reaches in and pulls out your heart.

It leaves it hollow, cold and dark,
Shreds your life, leaves it stark!

Time stands still and the road has no end.
The hurt you feel, no one can mend.

Your loss is beyond understanding,
And great sadness is all that it will bring.

Taken away, forever, never to return,
It’s a life lesson we all one day must learn.

I miss my dad every single day.
I wipe away my tears as I fall to pray

For this pain to please pack its bag and leave.
I can’t cope and I hate that I must grieve.

He’s gone and my heart is lost.
It is cold, icy, and covered in frost.

Time does not stop this hell.
It’s not good to remember or to dwell.

Even if I scream and shout and cry myself to sleep,
Death still holds you tight, forever to keep.

I’ve lost you, never to hear your voice.
This was never your or our choice.

Sometimes it’s better to close off from the pain.
Sometimes it’s better to just stand in the rain.

No matter what you do or say,
Death will always find its way.

But here within my heart you’re there.
No one can take that; just let them try if they dare!

I miss you every single day, it’s true.
Forever and always, I will love you.

21, The Gift God Gave Me Was You © Lea Gomez

I will never say goodbye to you, my father,
because I know this is not the end for us to see each other.
You will only be going to a place where there’s no pain suffering.
I am happy for you, for you will be with God.
For now we need to go in separate ways.
I remember how your arms hold me and give me strength.
You were always there to listen, love, and defend me in everything.
You were my very best friend.
In my triumphs you were always proud.
I’m very grateful and proud to call you my dad.
Here, deep inside my heart you’ll always be.
I would give up everything I have just to hug you one more time.
I remember the last time I held your hand and how you looked at me in the eyes.
If only I could turn back the time I would have never let you go.
I felt the world stop and my heart stop beating when they told me you were gone.
How I wish I were only dreaming.
Just like the rain, tears fell down from my eyes; I couldn’t speak for awhile.
Thank you, Dad,
For always understanding, listening, caring, and loving me your whole life.
The greatest gift God gave me was YOU…my dad
It’s difficult to let you go, but I must.
I must return the gift God gave me.

22, I Imagine My Father’s Death © Bryan D. Dietrich

I imagine my father’s death. It is bigger
than a breadbox. It is bigger than a Ford
Escort, than a Zeppelin, black and vast
and slow moving, oozing over an Oklahoma
arena. It is bigger than any arena, than
Oklahoma. My father’s death is bigger
than a planet, bigger than the gravity
wells worlds make, that stars stir up after
implosion. It is bigger than all the stars.
It takes up all space, all dimension, all
that is or ever was. It hates everything
it isn’t. It makes new space, new matter
from all it is. My father’s death takes on
form and void and says, “Let there be light.”
And there is light. It says, “Let there be
worlds.” And there are worlds. It says,
“Let there be a garden and a man in it.”
And there is a man. The man is my father.
He looks around, marveling at this thing
his death has made, then sets out to find
someone, anyone, with whom to share it.

23, Some Months After My Father’s Death © Sheryl St. Germain

I am watching the movie Twelve Angry Men
because there is a character in it
who reminds me of him.

He is the one who wants to go to the baseball game
instead of decide on a man’s life,
he is the weak one, the one afraid to reveal
what he really feels, the one for whom everything
is a joke. He is not Henry Fonda,
the tight-lipped moral one.

The man is despicable, his weaknesses obvious
to all, as obvious as Henry Fonda’s goodness.
I watch the movie again and again, loving
the black and white of it, soothed
by the sound of my father’s voice,
the careless pronunciation, the easy
shrugging of the shoulders at every crucial question.

I sink lower into the dark arms of the sofa.
Strange how comfortable the familiar is,
how we can even prefer it,
however terrifying.

24, Daddy © Tia

Please hold me daddy
And don’t let me go
cause I really miss
you daddy
more then
you know.

You said that you
would always be here
by my side, Daddy why
did you go?
How come you lied?

Mummy won’t tell me
I see her cry real late
at night, She keeps
asking for you.
I cried today daddy so
I laid in your bed,
daddy what do they
mean when they say
that your dead.

I guess it’s ok and you’ll
tell me soon, I’m looking
out my window at your house
near the moon.

25, The Day After My Father’s Death © Bill Knott

It’s too complex to explain,
but I was already in
the orphanage when dad died;
and so that day when I cried,
to keep the other children safe
from my infectious grief
they left me in lockdown
in some office where I found
piles of comicbooks hid
which they had confiscated
from us kids through the years,
and on through wiped tears
I pored quickly knowing
this was a one-time thing—
this quarantine would soon end—
I’d never see them again:
I’d regret each missed issue,
and worse than that I knew
that if a day ever did come
when I could obtain them,
gee, I’d be too old to read
them then, I’d be like him, dad.

26, The End © Alexandria Marin

In the beginning,
you were my dad,
you were my hero,
you were my everything.

The heart of a child,
the fun of childhood,
the love that could never be torn apart,
the unconditional value.

You were my teacher in life,
you were my most valued asset,
you were my strength,
you were my light.

Then you were my DAD,
you were my boss,
you were my disciplinary,
you were my fear.

The fear of doing wrong,
the disappointment in your eyes,
the way everything I did was wrong,
the way teenage years were withering our love.

You were my heart,
yet at a distance.
You were my hero,
yet you did not know it,.
You were my everything,
yet it was unapparent.

As the days drifted us further apart,
and the ways of our lives
drove us to ends with no words,
you were still my father.

Then, in the end,
as the gun clanged
and the tear fell from my eye,
you were once again,
my dad,
my hero,
my everything…,
I’d just been too selfish to let it be known,
and now, it was too late.

I love you, Daddy,
and always have,
and in this 11th year,
I proclaim,
I am still shattered,
beaten, and torn
by the emotions of your ill suicide.

27, Forever And Always Your Baby © Michelle N. Ballard

The moment I heard the news that day,
My heart sunk and my soul ached.
It just felt so unreal to me.
It couldn’t be right; how could it be?

The next few days went by in a blur
Filled with tears, hugs and well-meaning words.
Nothing changed the facts, didn’t do a thing.
They couldn’t bring you back or take away the sting.

Like a hot blade to my heart
That time will never heal,
Understanding time still goes on
Somehow just doesn’t seem real.

I watch people go about their day,
Wondering how they’re so unaware.
One of God’s most beautiful creations
Forever is no longer there.

I know he’s up in heaven now,
And for that I should be glad,
But I am selfish; I’m his little girl,
So I am stark raving mad.

I want him back; this was too soon.
It couldn’t have been his time.
I need him here to give advice
And remind me I’ll be fine.

They tell me to be still
And trust in God’s plan,
That time will reveal all things
And I will understand.

So for you, my Dad,
I will heed their words,
I will calm my anger
And face my hurt.

I will love you for always.
You always took care of me
And forever and always
Your baby I’ll be.

28, You’re Gone © Michelle

I whisper
Your name
I whisper
My pain

I cry
My tears
I cry
For lost years

My sorrow
So deep
My sorrow
I weep

My heart
It aches
My heart
It breaks

You’re gone
No light
You’re gone
Lost the fight

29, My Father’s Death © Barbara Buxton

When my father died I was glad.
His eyes had become windows
of pain.

He thrashed around in a bed that was
his jail;
He tried to make sense of it all
but there is no sense
to hell.

The cancer had made him a
living cadaver.

I wished for him to be a bird instead
that could fly
from the window;
Or a flower in a field looking up
at the sun:
being drenched by the rain only
to dry and look up
again.

30, Father Death © A Dark Lifetime

Where did you go?
When all the hope dissapeard
I didnt know you where that low
You watch me drown in my on tears
I can hope and wait
That it will all be ok
You where a little bit too late
And now its a new day

The memories inside of me
Cold, lifless and suffering
You knew I couldnt be
So you pushed me to breathing

The hate inside of you
Shining with glory and prime
You wont be true
I will punish you for your crime

Where did you run?
When I was left all alone
You really could break all the fun
You tried to kill me all along
I can only wait and hope
That it will all be good
I will stick to Lifes rope
And escape from your bad mood

The dreams inside of me
Dark, faith and life
God please give me strenght, an army
That will help me be alive

The envy inside of you
Taking over everything
You wont be true
You dont want to be true
Everything was just a acting

31, Father Death Blues © Allen Ginsberg

Hey Father Death, I’m flying home
Hey poor man, you’re all alone
Hey old daddy, I know where I’m going

Father Death, Don’t cry any more
Mama’s there, underneath the floor
Brother Death, please mind the store

Old Aunty Death Don’t hide your bones
Old Uncle Death I hear your groans
O Sister Death how sweet your moans

O Children Deaths go breathe your breaths
Sobbing breasts’ll ease your Deaths
Pain is gone, tears take the rest

Genius Death your art is done
Lover Death your body’s gone
Father Death I’m coming home

Guru Death your words are true
Teacher Death I do thank you
For inspiring me to sing this Blues

Buddha Death, I wake with you
Dharma Death, your mind is new
Sangha Death, we’ll work it through

Suffering is what was born
Ignorance made me forlorn
Tearful truths I cannot scorn

Father Breath once more farewell
Birth you gave was no thing ill
My heart is still, as time will tell.

32, Upon Your Father’s Death © Valerian

I picture you
as a moment caught in vellum,
something old and precious and maintained.

Yet you are also the space between breaths,
the firework explosion of synapses behind my eyes.
When I ask the universe,
you are the infinite yes.

I have carried you in my pocket
across expanses of space, across states and countries,
the continent of my dreams,
yet you are not dusty,
not in pieces.

Tell me, have I been in your pocket, too?

You are like a tree
that is suddenly, inexplicably,
extraordinary.

We keep walking down this path,
tripping on pebbles, trying not to smile.
You are silent and warm,
upending galaxies with your sighs.

I hold you
in the crook of my elbow and run
my fingers over your luminous skin, you who carries
the sun in his chest
like the brightest beacon in the world.

When I was small and broken,
you were my imaginary friend stealing cherries
from the neighbor’s tree.

Inside of my dreams,
the hours of all those small deaths,
you were there with me, too.

What does it mean to be alive?

I pause here, hushed and ready,
arms open, and wait
for your reply.

33, On My Father’s Death © Fanniesson

My old man fell from the toilet-seat to our
less than seventy-two hours, newly
self-installed black & white subway tile
bathroom floor.

The Medical Examiner assuring us, as he was
filling out paperwork at the kitchen table, needed
to have the funeral home come directly to our home
and remove his body to their location, bypassing
the city morgue.

He was dead before hitting the floor from
a massive brain aneurysm causing heart failure.
Dead before his skull smashed against that
back & white checkered tile floor,
I had just laid with him.

A one day job he assured me, that turned into
the entire three-day weekend job, and this nightmare.

34, Goodnight Dad God Bless © Fiona Tunilla

You used to spoil me rotten
With all your love and care
But now each time I look for you
You suddenly aren’t there

I knew that it was coming
And that we’d have to say goodbye
But Dad, I wasn’t ready
And the sad day has arrived

I’ll no longer feel your arms around me tightly when I cry
Or be able to kiss you softly or wave to you goodbye

Because you are no longer here in spirit anyway
For God’s special angels have been sent to carry you away

I hope you’re watching over me the way you used to do
It really is the only way I think I might get through

Our tears and hurt consume us
As we lose you in our lives
But we have such happy memories behind these bloodshot eyes

I’ll always miss you, Daddy, and I’ll always love you too
There’ll never be another daddy quite as loved as you

35, Not This Year © Michelle

Close is my birthday Dad
But I can only feel sad

Realization has finally hit.
And now with my pain I sit.

The nightmare is real.
My wounds they did not heal.

A day of celebration ahead
for once a day I dread.

Now that I come to understand
That you won’t hold my hand

Tell me how to handle this
All I can do is reminisce.

I wish to hear your voice.
For us to rejoice.

Just a hug, another dance
Perhaps another chance.

But in the darkness I see
This year, you won’t be with me.

36, My Father © Shahinaz Soliman

My dad, I miss you every day
My greatest love, my hero
My best memories in every way

The greatest man I knew
In every moment of my life I do remember you
I remember your strong yet tender features
I remember you as a role model and a great teacher
I remember looking up to you, jumping, hopping, and feeling safe

I always hid behind your existence
You taught me about patience and persistence
I felt safe, secure, and never worried when you were around
I always knew with you I was standing on a solid, safe ground

I remember your tear when I read for you my first poem
I remember when you waited for me after my late classes till I came home
I remember your daily hard work, dedication, and tender care
I remember all the love, fun, and thoughts that we used to share

I wanted you to be proud of me
I wanted to be the daughter that you wanted to see
I made sure everything I did was what you would approve
I am purely your daughter, there is nothing more to prove

My children hear about you every day
They always ask me why grandpa didn’t stay
I tell them he is in heaven now, looking and praying for us somehow
I love you so much, my dad, your memory will always be alive
I love you so much, my dad, your words and wisdom will always survive

37, A Prayer For My Dad © Danielle

I cant believe I’m standing here,
Saying my goodbyes
To a Dad that meant the world to me,
My Dad with big brown eyes

Anyone who loved him
Will know how I feel today,
My Dad was the sunshine of my life
Who could light up the darkest days.

So goodbye Dad my only Dad,
Take your wings and fly
To eternal happiness and your reward,
through the big gates in the sky.

38, My Father, Today You Left Me © Carla Lovan

Today You Left Me
Today has been a month
But, it only seems like yesterday,
That, you left me.

I made the promise not to leave you
And to stay at your side.

I was just so tired
I needed to close my eyes,
I went to take a nap because the days that passed
I only slept a bit, so I could stay at your side.

When the call came to get back up there,
I came as fast as I could.
Only to find you had left me.
To this day I regret that I left your side
Because, I promised you I wouldn’t leave your side.

I didn’t get to say good-bye
But I did tell you I loved you before I left.
Dad I miss you and need you,
I know I have to let you go.
So you could rest in peace

You’re, in a better place
Sitting, next to the lord
Where you once said,
You were ready to take your place
Next, to the lords in his heavenly grace.

You said miss me,
But let me go, for I have fulfilled my journey here on earth.
Now the lord is taking you home to start a new journey.

I think of you daily
It’s, so hard not to cry,
I know I will be okay,
Because, I feel you near by.

Rest in Peace Dad for I will see you soon.
God has blessed me with a father like you.
All that you taught me will live on in my children and I thank the Lord for having you as my father.

I love you Dad, It was an honor to have you as my father.

39, Daddy © Shariefa Hendricks

The day you answered God’s call
Left an empty space
My world came crashing down
I couldn’t breathe…couldn’t talk…
I felt so numb, I couldn’t walk.

It was so hard to believe
That you were gone.
Once so strong;
Where do I belong?
Why did you have to leave?
Why did you have to go?

Thinking of you brings tears to my eyes
I never thought I would see your demise
Who will teach me right from wrong?
Now that you are gone?

Daddy, you put me through varsity
You did that by working with your hands
You built big buildings and painted tall walls
Times were tough that I knew
You did what you could, to help me through

You could fixed anything you laid your hands on
There wasn’t a thing you couldn’t do
With a little cement or some glue
Just thinking about this, is making me blue!

You made me so proud on my wedding day
When you so unselfishly gave me away
You hugged me and wished me well
And I think a saw a tear

It was so hard for you to let me go
To let your “little girl” venture into a world unknown
Without you holding my hand or to catch me if I fall
But don’t worry daddy
I remember everything you taught me
If I forget, it’s a pity I can’t call

Now its time for me to let you go
The hardest thing I’ve ever had to do
But before I do,
I want you to know, I’m so sorry for all I put you through
I Love you Daddy
More than words can describe
I wish you were here, I wish you were alive!

40, Death of The Father © Typhus

The lump of flesh lay in the square
Fat, deceased,
Bereft of hair
And local people gathered there
All to gloat, none to care.

He’d just been shot
It seemed too fair.
“He should have suffered”
I heard them say
As the setting sun began to bake
And the people there voiced their hate
Screaming “Disembowel!”
“Annihilate!”

With chain and rope they strung him up
And, frozen stiff, he began to swing
I heard from them a mighty cheer
And saw them drink and dance and sing
Celebrating their hollow win
Over this chunk of meat,
This fallen king.

41, Miss You Dad © Dwayne Hillman

Another year has passed that you have been gone
Oh how I wish that I could turn back time;
But God knew that it was time for you to go home
It was on God’s agenda and not mine.

When I was young and growing up
You and I would disagree on things now and then;
But long gone are the days that I can call you on the phone
And say to you, “Dad do you remember when?”

As I now have children and grandchildren of my own,
I know now know how proud you must have been;
As the generations continue to come and go
Your love for all of us is instilled within.

It was with mixed emotion that I had to let you go
But I knew that you didn’t want to stay;
You were headed home to Jesus to live forever
And that when you drew you last breath you were on your way.

There is not one day that goes by
That I don’t miss you DAD,
But I know that you are with Jesus
And nothing more makes me more glad.

42, Dad’s Journey To The Other Side © Alice F. Dozier

Dad has taken his final journey,
And for him I still am yearning
He’d been sick several years,
And I’ve shed many tears,
But I know he’s like a new man,
And is resting in God’s hands,
Dad had more than his share of hurting,
If I could bring him back-I wouldn’t,
I hope one day to sit at his side,
Forever to be in heaven on high!

43, On The Death Of My Father © David Lewis Paget

My brain has turned to ash, and yes,
My mouth is dust,
And love is grief, and death is
But the loss of trust;
While life is paupered, futures turn,
Feed on the past,
And dwell on words you might have…
If I’d only asked!

No point to dwell again, but yet
I must, I will;
Was there some hint, a glimpse perhaps
You’d long distilled,
Was I so blind, insensible
And dead to grief
That death could snatch you carelessly,
Some petty thief.

Perspectives shift, horizons narrow,
Drift my sand,
Your loss has marked my end, that shallow
Sleight of man,
What now remains of you, I am
Though poor in creed,
For what you were was love, and this
I’ve lost indeed.

44, The Father’s Death © Rm.Shanmugam Chettiar

He had had six children,
Fifteen grandchildren and
Many great grandchildren.
He died with a son by.
Others didn’t see him last
And didn’t repent either.