the voice of my childhood is gone
With each hour that passes since
the news arrived,
my night grows heavier
You were the chieftan
of our little clan
You smelled of the sea
even when it was
decades away from you
You made old leather books
my heaven, my hidden kingdom
you taught me
the power of words
and the love of story
You were a broken and hurt little boy
who grew up into an angry man
who taught me about love, family,
and being a man
a husband and a father
When things slipped away from me
and I could be nothing
the strength you taught me
helped me to hold on
and endure
it’s raining now
in the space between my
mind and my hands
it’s a blur
and in a silent moment
my heart is broken
Rest in peace Poppa
you were a greater treasure than you ever knew.