My Father - It was all for us

A child of a school teacher

Well respected in time

Tainted by war and colonialism

Normalcy amounted to death

Following orders

Missed friends.

Doing what was right

It was all for us.

Dreams and aspirations clouded

Hope of a new day

A massive movement to become

Idealized partners with unfailing plans

Victory in reach

What did it become...

Grief.

But it was all for us.

Charcoal nights

And calm waters

A life was in its cocoon

Yet escape was the only way.

Or death

Or Insanity.

But it was all for us.

Fear of being caught

Holes to sink a ship

A blessing in disguise

At the expense of a lost child.

But it was all for us.

A few years later

Barely enough to make it through

The children didn't know any better.

Happiness only surrounded with laughter.

It was all for us.

Work hard

Respect the elders

And I will feed and provide whatever is necessary.

Not knowing what poor was.

Because everything was all for us.

As I cried each night

Wondering why my Father was so mean

Why he was unlike the other affectionate dads

Why nothing I did ever seemed good enough

I didn't know that everything he did was all for us.

And with years

Frailty was in sight

Lessons of life came back

As I cried in his brittle arms

Of the only lost I've ever known.

He looked at me with affection

And told me that this was all for me.

And all for us.

He gave me education, so I could compete.

He gave me grief, so I can be stronger.

He gave me music, so I can breathe.

He gave me what was needed not wanted, so I could appreciate the beauty of life.

He let me go, so I could grow my wings.

This was him giving what he knew.

So when the time came, I was ready.

Because in the end, it was all for us.