Last Night

Last Night

Last night the phone rang

it was my sister and I knew

it couldn’t be good.

That’s how things work in my family,

when the phone rings the news

is anything but good.

Last night the phone rang

it was my sister.

She wanted to talk about her father,

he abandoned her,

he was never a father to her,

she never felt his love.

He’s dying….

Before he goes I think

she wants to know that he’s sorry,

sorry for never being there,

sorry for never loving her,

sorry for not bearing witness to the brilliance

in her life.

Sorry, sorry that he helped bring her into this world

but never held her hand as she traversed this journey.

Sorry for all the missed birthday’s, holidays, celebrations,

sorry for never telling her how proud of her he is.

Before he goes I think

she wants to know….

She wants to know that he loved her.

It made me think of my dad……….

He’s dying and it’s a long story, the kind

I could never tell because I don’t have the details.

I lived it but don’t know it…..

You see many years ago as my mom

was being beaten on the floor by my dad,

my sister took me from my high chair and

ran to the neighbor’s house to call the police…….

We left and he never looked back….

Last night my sister called, she is hurting.

Our dad is dying and we never knew him.