He Was Not With Me

We stood on a beach of white sand, on a beautiful tropical isle. I held my daughter's hand in mine. We shared a knowing smile. There were no words spoken. We knew what was left unsaid. Our voices surely would've broken, so we shared a hug instead. No father to walk with her today; no strong arm to keep her steady. I was the one who'd give her away. "Mom," she said, "I'm ready." Then we felt a gentle breeze, ruffling the hem of her chiffon dress. It rustled through palm leaves, soft and sweet as a lover's caress. An orchestral wedding march became music with each rushing wave. Romantic lighting from tiki torch, to her groom, my daughter, I gave. A golden sunset cast its light, as the happy couple whispered, " I do." It was quite a charming night, beside still waters of turquoise hues. A moments respite from the fray, I sat with my daughter alone. "Mom, I wish Dad had been here today." A tear of sorrow was sown. "So do I, my darling. I miss him, too. Right now he'd be so carefree, on the dance floor with you. He's not here so come, dance with me." She wore a smile, for a while, then I saw her walk out the door. My little girl, no longer a child, said, "Hi Daddy, this is Eleanor." Time to put away her denial, and whisper her last 'goodbyes.' Daddy walked her down the aisle, when he sang her lullabies. ~ Internal and Ending Rhyme Schemes ~ There are no rules for the number of lines or syllables per line. I especially like this double form of rhyming because of its challenge to rhyme in the middle and at the end of each line. Example for each verse: a b a b c d c d Lin Lane ~ Poetry Writing #1 Contest December 10th 2015 Sponsor ~ Broken Wings