On the Occasion of your 38th Birthday

I wanted to change your diaper,
hold your bottle,
smell your new-person scent
and be the best father that ever lived!
And, I was...

I wanted to teach you to ride a bike,
to fly a kite,
blow a bubblegum balloon
and some of those things I did.
But, others, I didn't...

I wanted to help you with homework,
dry teenage tears,
to try and explain why boys lie
but I wasn't there.
I just wasn't...

I wanted to walk you down the aisle,
see you safe and settled,
sit with your husband and wait
and watch my first grandchild being born.
But, I didn't...

I wanted to always be there for you,
for your highs and lows,
your triumphs and tragedies,
and be the best father ever, until I died!
But, I'm not...