Remembering a Marvelous Man

I can still smell sawdust stuck on his sunburned skin;
see a light layer on his clothes
- a cinnamon caster-sugar coating
when he whistled while he worked with wood,
with his pencil tucked into the top fold of his ear …
a carpenter whose work was impeccable …

I can still see his very straight smile shining brilliantly
bright white
as I watched the laughter lines
being engraved around his eyes
and even though I can no longer hear his happiness,
the echo is written on my heart with invisible ink…

His light-heartedness lingers in my life
switching on a smile
as I remember my handsome Dad referring to a movie
saying
‘I’m the good, the bad and the ugly
I’m good sometimes,
I’m bad some times
but I’m always ugly’
yet he was a good looking guy with a such a good heart.

I’ve been marked by this man
I called Dad
and I’m so grateful to God for the gift He gave
of a man
who loved life
even when life didn’t always love him.

My hope is that I will make him proud having a positive attitude
even in negative circumstances
like he lived his life…

Even though he received many medals from his service of saving lives
in the Second World War,
I will always be grateful to God for sparing his life
so he could be a hero to one little girl.

I love you Daddy
always your little girl.

—
Brenda.ps23©