I See You, Father

I see you, though words elude me still, Each time I try to speak, my heart grows still. Not like with Mom, where ease comes free, Your silence shapes the space between you and me. You’re no less loved, though I fumble and sigh, For in your quiet strength, I see the why— Why others turn to you, why they lean in prayer, Why you shoulder burdens most wouldn't dare. I’ve watched you carry years most could not bear, Wrinkles and wear hidden under care. You seem untouched by time’s transient tilt, Yet I know deep down the price you pay. Father, what fire still fuels your stride— What keeps the tired ache you feel denied? Where others would fade, you push ever on, A warrior’s spirit from dusk until dawn. In you, I see the person I strive to be, A compass guiding the heart in me. The dreams I’ve chased, the strength I claim, Are shaped by the echoes that carry your name. Even as years turn light to obscure cloud, Your image lingers, it will not fade. For you are the roots that keep me grounded, And the stars that guide me through the night. And while my words may falter and stray, I hope you hear the truths I try to say— You’ve always been my silent tower, My source of love, my unseen power. So, though I may stumble, falter, or hide, Know this, dear father, with unshaken pride: I see you—your scars, your strength, your grace, And I carry you forward in my heart’s forever embrace (update 2020)