To the man who gave her her first steps and name,
Whose love, like a lighthouse, lit her through rain—
Before I held her hand in mine,
It was your strength where she would shine.
I vow not just to love your daughter dear,
But to honor the trust that brought me here.
To guard her smile the way you did,
Through every storm, through every bid.
You've watched her grow from child to grace,
And now, with tears, you give her place.
But know this truth as deep as skies:
In every promise, your role still lies.
For in her laugh, I hear your song,
In her courage, where you belong.
You raised her with a heart so wide,
That even I found home inside.
So I vow to be not just a husband and friend,
But a son to you, till journey’s end.
Thank you for the gift you give,
In her, your legacy shall live.
My father-in-law
A professor he
Says a poet
I can never be
Although in print
I may be
I do not have
A college degree
{This should have been in my first book, Shadows of footsteps,
I don’t know how I left it out.}
For sixty-nine long lovely years
the Captain manned the helm;
he caused the boat to keep afloat
while guiding through his realm.
Through cloudy days and stormy seas
the Captain stood steadfast;
with great aplomb he found the calm
and gentle seas at last.
With first mate and the crew aboard
the Captain in control,
the vessel sailed through life unveiled,
and dignified it’s very soul.
But two years last the first mate passed,
the Captain lost his will;
the crew emerged at first mate’s urge,
and guided ship with skill.
A sad day in November’s chill
the Captain did depart
to join first mate at heaven’s gate;
the boat now moored with bleeding heart.
_______________________________
Rest in peace, Captain
November 30, 2018
My dear father in law
From the time we first met, I knew we would get along
It's not been a life time but our bond was very strong
You had a way about you, with good friendships along the way
I never heard you raise your voice, a gentle man with strength
The times we spent together were an enlightenment to us both
You talked about the war and your times upon the boat
How you swept the sea for mines to protect us gentle folk
So many times in my kitchen we would discuss the dinners fate
You often went home after, having a go to replicate
You humour was renowned, with one liners that made us laugh
Your stories and memories will live on now you have passed
Love drips from his voice
As he rang me out of bed
''Hope you guys are fine''
These words stream my soul
To seconds of sweet silence
I replied, so fine.
Another dawn he'll call
Spilling the same syllables
In the same verse form.
For Dr.Ram Mehta's contest: 'In-Laws'
Joseph Osita
(This is a fictional poem)
My father-in-law is so old that his first friend was Barney Rubble.
When he comes to my house, he causes nothing but trouble.
I can hear him coming when I hear his old bones creak.
He pees all over himself every time he tries to take a leak.
He tries to get my wife to leave me every time he comes.
He eats all of our food and then he gets drunk on my rum.
When he visits, he gets mad and raves and rants.
I want to see the look on his face when I put a lobster down his pants.
He's coming over tonight and I'm going to break a lot of his bones.
I'm going to raise hell until he leaves me alone.
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