Memorial for Papa

You never knew this millennium,
but I see you here.
When I notice little girls vie
for a good man’s love,
or little boys mimic
what a good man does.
And when a woman finds
a good man's love,
I see you - you and Mom.

Cowboy hats remind me
of your country style.
The old hat your always wore
resides in my memory
on the mantle of the fireplace
built with your own hands.

Tight jeans on a skinny butt
'til the day you died.
And working, always working
except when you were strumming your old guitar.
Making music was your poetry,
and I can hear it still.

Fried bologna on the menu at Nimbus Brewery.
You'd have loved that.
I cried when that was all you brought
So you caught me some trout.

How long the shrapnel surfaced
only you knew, but I remember
the pain you endured,
mom picking metal shards with tweezers
while you silently endured.

Taking on a ready made family
is never easy, but you did it
in the face of an outraged alcoholic
and on a shoestring budget.

You did it for me
You did it for all of us.
My hero. Papa. Always.


Memorial Day, 2010 Dedicated to Tommey Lee Olvey