My Mother was half Cherokee, and my Dad was Italian, so the cultures I grew up in, were 'Interesting" to say the least. I am placing this poem here, in honor of my Dad, that I loved dearly. He has been gone since 1968, but never forgotten.
JJK
"ODE TO MY DAD"
IN A SHIP FROM PALERMO, ITALY
MY FATHER CAME TO THE STATES
HIS ANTICIPATION, RUNNING HIGH
WONDERING . . .WHAT AWAITS
A YOUNG MAN OF TWENTY ONE, EAGER
TO START HIS LIFE . . . BRAND NEW
WITH A WILLINGNESS TO DO WHATEVER
MAKING HIS "AMERICAN" DREAM COME TRUE
HE STAYED IN NEW YORK FOR A TIME
THEN LEFT THAT STATE FOR ANOTHER
PENNSYLVANIA WAS HIS DESTINATION
AND THATS WHERE HE MET MY MOTHER
IT WAS IN 1929 THEY BECAME WED
BUSILY RAISING THREE BOYS, AND TWO
GIRLS, SEEING THAT HEY WERE, WELL BRED
MY FATHER WAS PROUD, TO BE AN AMERICAN
BRINGING US UP . . . IN THAT WAY
HE TAUGHT HIMSELF TO READ AND WRITE
STUDYING . . . DAY AFTER DAY
HE REALLY ENJOYED POLITICS
AND, WAS SURE TO HAVE HIS SAY
NEVER FORGETING TO CAST HIS VOTE
COME EVERY ELECTION DAY.
MY FATHER WAS SUCH A GOOD MAN
NEVER A DRINKER, GAMBLER . . .OR SUCH
HIS WORLD, WAS HIS FAMILY
TO HIM, WE MEANT SO MUCH
MANY A TIME . . . HE WOULD DO WITH-OUT
JUST TO MAKE, ONE OF US SMILE
WITH A HEART SO BIG AND LOVING
HE ALWAYS WENT, THAT EXTRA MILE
"MY LITTLE PUPA" HE'D CALL ME
AN OLD . . . ITALIAN ENDEARMENT
I WAS "DADDY'S LITTLE GIRL" AND
WANTED TO GO, EVERYWHERE HE WENT
MY YEARS WITH HIM . . . WEREN'T MANY
ONLY TWENTY TWO, BUT THEN
ENOUGH MEMORIES TO SIFT
THROUGH . . . AGAIN AND AGAIN
HE HAS BEEN GONE SUCH A LONG TIME
AND THIS BEING THE MONTH OF HIS BIRTH
I WISH WE COULD SAY "HAVE A GREAT DAY"
ONE FILLED WITH HAPPINESS, AND MIRTH
YET, I'VE WRITTEN THIS POEM ABOUT HIM
HOPING HE'LL READ IT FROM ABOVE
WITH THE HOPE THAT HE WILL KNOW
HE'LL ALWAYS HAVE OUR LOVE
SO "HAPPY BIRTHDAY DADDY"
FROM YOUR CHILDREN, HERE BELOW
WE WANT TO SAY, YOUR IN OUR THOUGHTS
. . . AND WE MISS YOU SO!
