Rainy skies and clouds of gray,
I remember it like yesterday.
Walking down that corridor,
reading numbers on the doors.
Then there he was in his room,
coughing coughs of pending doom.
When I first seen him lying there,
struggling for a breath of air,
I felt like my heart had skipped a beat,
as it dropped down to my feet.
You see,
dad was the strongest man I knew.
An example in what I wanted to be and do.
And I wasn't there as he gradually got worse.
I was away in college, undaunted,
trying to do what he wanted.
So I sat down in a chair,
stroked his head of graying hair,
leaned close to his ear and whispered,
" Dad, you've always smoked cigarettes,
blowing donuts in the air hot and wet.
But always full of good advice too,
thinking do as I say, not as I do
would suffice.
And you would say, have fun son,
you only live once, life is done,
don't be lazy, use good words,
don't be a jerk, I don't like nerds,
don't drink alcohol, cut your hair short,
life ain't no joke.
But it was always through a cigarette...."
"I love you dad,
but I have to go,
you know, with my studies,
I've been really stressed.
And as you may have guessed.
Seeing you with cancer and all...."
"Oh darn dad,
I know it's bad,
I'll be just down the hall.
if you need anything give me a call.
I won't be gone long and I'll be back."