I Love You, Daddy

The smell would hit me like a slap in the face My daddy was a patient in that place I would find him sitting in his chair alone I wished he didn’t live in a nursing home How I longed to take him home with me I couldn’t afford to stay with him, you see He might wander off and I had to make a living How I hated doing this for he had been so giving He worked so hard, he had been a good Dad Providing for the big family he and Mama had Now Mama had gone on up to heaven It was up to me, youngest of the seven I would feel so guilty leaving him there I was afraid he might think I didn’t care His mind slipped away to some other place Most days he didn’t even recognize my face “I love you daddy,” I would always say Hoping he would know me that day He did recognize me one last time It's a favorite little memory of mine He looked at me with clear recognition He patted my arm and asked this question “Baby, are you still teaching school?” I broke down and cried like a blubbering fool On the day he died, I was there with him I fed him ice and sang to him a favorite hymn I wish he had known and had felt my touch Daddy’s ‘baby girl’ misses him so much