A Father I Wanted …

A poem of longing for a father by Mohini, exclusively for Different Truths.

A father I wanted
A guardian brave and daunting
Just like him, just like
The one who's no more.
 
He had diseases in his bones
But was tough for his most robust core
Eyes sparkling like pearls, brighter
Than a young bride's glow.
 
I met him only for a short period
Saw him chained to oxygen cylinders,
But he wasn't morbid
Smiling through it all, a true hero.
 
He took his daughter's hand
And both began to love seamless grand
A provider of heart, a shield for his family,
Even in his weak mould.
 
Why can't my father be like that?
Or why can't I be this man's daughter?
Why had he to go in such youthful old?

Picture design by Anumita Roy