my father
I see my father
the child of four -Little Lord Fauntleroy -in his velvet suit
on the ship bringing him with his mother from England
thirty two primary schools as they move from job to job
at eleven -settled with a step father, and a beloved palomino,
until the depression hits and the farm is sold
a young man of fourteen working to earn a living
only seventeen a stockman on a station
riding a moterbike from windmill to windmill
drinking hard on visits to the town
a handsome young man of twenty one in the airforce
saving my mother from a spider on a vine covered verandah
marrying her at twenty four before going to fight for his country
surviving to return and study education
fathering three children, two girls and a boy
buying a home for the family
teaching and guiding children in his role at schools
loving his game of golf -recounting it stroke by stroke
welcoming with great love and pride his first granddaughter
his heart breaking at the loss of his beloved wife
marrying to fill up the emptiness of his loss
moving away from his family home of twenty years
welcoming into his life a second granddaughter
losing again -this time his precious son
sharing his loss and his life and his job with his new wife
welcoming a grandson to my sister, then another grandson to my family
after only ten years losing this new wife
departing home to work elsewhere
holidays spent with our young family
being there when the last granddaughter arrives
retiring and returning to his home
meeting a new woman to marry and fill the empty spaces in his heart
less than ten years and once again losing a wife
being there for me through times of great hardship
sinking into a loneliness surrounded by his pets
starting to suffer from age and memory loss
no longer able to look after himself
forgetting to eat, losing his way, never knowing the day
becoming ill and moving to a hostel
still well loved by all around him
sharing his smokes and jokes with the staff
forgetting not to smoke inside
then further illness leads to another move - more carers
age makes him more and more frail
forgetting his past and his family
becoming an old man in a wheelchair
but still I see my father in the smile and the glint in his eyes
the child of four -Little Lord Fauntleroy -in his velvet suit
on the ship bringing him with his mother from England
thirty two primary schools as they move from job to job
at eleven -settled with a step father, and a beloved palomino,
until the depression hits and the farm is sold
a young man of fourteen working to earn a living
only seventeen a stockman on a station
riding a moterbike from windmill to windmill
drinking hard on visits to the town
a handsome young man of twenty one in the airforce
saving my mother from a spider on a vine covered verandah
marrying her at twenty four before going to fight for his country
surviving to return and study education
fathering three children, two girls and a boy
buying a home for the family
teaching and guiding children in his role at schools
loving his game of golf -recounting it stroke by stroke
welcoming with great love and pride his first granddaughter
his heart breaking at the loss of his beloved wife
marrying to fill up the emptiness of his loss
moving away from his family home of twenty years
welcoming into his life a second granddaughter
losing again -this time his precious son
sharing his loss and his life and his job with his new wife
welcoming a grandson to my sister, then another grandson to my family
after only ten years losing this new wife
departing home to work elsewhere
holidays spent with our young family
being there when the last granddaughter arrives
retiring and returning to his home
meeting a new woman to marry and fill the empty spaces in his heart
less than ten years and once again losing a wife
being there for me through times of great hardship
sinking into a loneliness surrounded by his pets
starting to suffer from age and memory loss
no longer able to look after himself
forgetting to eat, losing his way, never knowing the day
becoming ill and moving to a hostel
still well loved by all around him
sharing his smokes and jokes with the staff
forgetting not to smoke inside
then further illness leads to another move - more carers
age makes him more and more frail
forgetting his past and his family
becoming an old man in a wheelchair
but still I see my father in the smile and the glint in his eyes