What you have missed

Letter to an alcoholic parent or relative (during rehab process)

What you have missed


What you have missed
while wallowing in the oblivion of drink;
communion with friends, laughter
of your grandsons, companionship
with your sons and their wives,
the memory of words exchanged,
the passion for life.

What we have missed
while watching you play
Hide and Seek with Death;
conversations past noon, the boys
surprised to see your quick
and measured steps
on the ballroom floor,
your guidance in business
and family heritage, our pride
in introducing you to our friends,
a conversation you will remember,
getting to know who you could become
if only you could truly understand
what you have missed.