Nearly forty-seven years later
I still remember those fishing trips,
you reeling in northern pike
so big they filled the tub
I catching perch after perch,
watching the bobbin
dip and bob all afternoon.
The camping trips,
the six of us in a big tent,
bear at the garbage cans
evening campfires
swimming in the hot springs
horseback riding
and family fun.
All brought suddenly
to an end one afternoon
on a country road
when your vehicle
hit another car
killing you instantly.
Three weeks before
your fortieth birthday
leaving a widow with six children;
only ten, my youngest brother
just two days old, you saw him once
he has no recollection of you.
You weren't at my graduation,
wedding or birth of your grandkids
and great grandchildren;
when we took them to see you
at the cemetery, they said
we should fly to visit you in heaven.
We were all left behind
growing older as you stay young
and see us from on high;
hope you are proud of us
and of mom who carried on by herself
and waits to see you one day.
Only pictures remain
keeping you in our sight
and in our hearts;
you took a part of us with you
that day so long ago
you left without saying good-bye.
Author notes
Option 1
My father died when I was 10 and my youngest brother was just 2 days old. Have written more about him in this past year since joining AP than I have since he died.
Written March 11th, 2006
In a list
A contest entry
- THE BEST YOU CAN DO! please enter... :) by LilMrsAttitude.
1600 points, ended March 30, 2008, 66 entries
Silver trophy winner
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest - Childhood Memories by Catie Sheeran.
600 points, ended May 2, 2008, 14 entries
Bronze trophy winner
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
What did you think
Comments
1 - 57 of 57
-
wow...i was so lost in your poem in the first 2 stanzas..it was so nice and calm and you took a drastic turn in your 3rd stanza...it shocked me. i liked the way you suddenly changed the mood so unexpectedly, so you demonstrated that mood of that accident perfectly. and then you continued through out the rest of your life. just like it really happened to you. Im so so sorry this happened to you...but i think you displayed it perfectly in your poem. thanks for entering and good luck!
-
This write clearly identifies how important, how strong family ties and memories can be. ....Nearly forty-seven years later - and you remember family outings from way back then. How sad this is. How painful, as in the beginning of the write...so you end..."without saying goodbye". Thank you for sharing Granny.
-
This was so sad to me granny. I know this must be hard. It reminded me of my brother who's girlfriend of 11 years passed away yesterday. She was legally married to another man and though he is a complete stranger to her children, he will be taking them from my brother who has raised them from infants. The boys are 10 and 12 and the girl is 17. This is going to be hard on them all. Wonderful story that you share with us.
-
I don't have any criticism here. This poem is just too good. Now here's a strange coincidence: my mother died when I was ten and my sister was just a day old. Strange coincidence, huh?
-
that's awesome granny that you have beebn able to let alot of it out since joining ap, i hope it helps your heart to heal a little more. love you granny
-
Wow. You brought me to tears.
I can understand a little bit of what you feel. My father died when I was 12 (just a week before my 13th birthday actually). I loved him so much, I looked up to him. I remember, I would follow him around everywhere. It's devastating to lose someone you love so dearly. It makes it so much sadder that your brother doesn't know who his dad is, of course stories and pictures are wonderful but then again, who wouldn't want to know their parents.
(sorry if you find that affending)
I'm sorry for your loss, even though it has been so many years. The pain is still the same no matter how old you are. I guess the only thing people need to remember is that their parents loved them with all their heart, and that we will see them again.
~Lacy
Edited on Mar 17, 8:24 p.m. because ''. -
A very well written write that has reduced me to tears as the poignancy touched me so,how lucky you were to have a Father that loved you and shared time with you and how tragic that he was taken from you so suddenly and so young.God bless,love and light,Yvette
-
Aww, this is so sad.. It was beautfiully written, but really sad.. Every word was perfect.. I lovd it!.. You did an awesome job with this and I wish you best of luck in the contest!.. Thanks for sharing! 
-
What wonderful memories you have of your father. You were fortunate that he spent so much time making those memories with your family.
Did your mother remarry? You mentioned that she waits to go to him. I know it must have been difficult, but it seems that you had a good start with a loving family. I enjoyed this very much. Hugs, Patricia
-
Perfect.
Oh...wow...unprepared for this one...just, so special- it's something about those memories and simpler times...it's better than great, I want to save it as a fave, it's just perfect. That's all I can say. -
sad
this is another very sad one grannyeri..you're very very good at this type of thing,very articulate with very strong messages
good imagery,well done again..floorboards -
beautifully penned
this is an absolutely wonderful tribute not only to your dad but mum as well..actually to all your family. you have captured the loss and love of the family and portrayed hardships endured as well....the memories you have in your heart will ensure that your father will live on through you and your family which is the way it should be. this poem penned with love brings joy to all the readers and such a beautiful poem. thank you for sharing your special family memories.....very touching -
This is so sad and sweet. Thank you for sharing your story. I bet you have a lot to write about, growing up in house full of kids with just your mom to raise you. You probably have a very close family and a lot of special memories. What a tribute to your dad after all these years.
-
Very powerful write. It doesn't take much to bring tears to my eyes, I guess you could say I'm a bleeding heart, so ofcourse this one did. I have been fortunate enough not to have lost anyone very close to me as of yet, so I can't relate personally, but you make it very easy to comprehend the pain of the loss you suffered. Thank you very much for your comment on my poem. (And yes, I do have babies on my mind! Is it that obvious? ^_^)
-
This is an incredible write. You have been able to make me feel every word so deeply. I am sor sory that you lost your dad at such a young age. I was 22 when I lost mine. Funny that he and I were getting close just five years before he died. I was always afraid of him no matter what, but after I had my first baby, he fell in love with her and then I had a son, and he fell in love with him too. He was a real hard man, american indian, brought up on a reservation, so he worked hard, drank firewater (haha) and lived a legal but rough life. I have his stubbornness and his intolerance of alcohol. I am a nice then very mean drunk!! Any this is a most beautiful write. I love the way AP allows us to get the hurt out, make real connections with feelings, and have others help heal us with their writes. Sorry I got off the subject, and just thank you again.
u -
brilliant
I read this poem as a most beautiful tribute paid to your father-it has emotions that so simply stated that they just have to touch the heart and tug at the strings-'you took a part of us with you that day so long ago'-this I found was the most powerful line- it spoke of a feeling of a gnawing missing-a feeling of never ever being whole again sans him-a feeling of quiet sadness-' you left without saying good-bye.'-the suddeness of his demise has left a deep impact on you -I have enjoyed reading the depth of emotions , the flow of words which I felt were guided by deep rooted feelings -this is a brilliant piece
-
This is very touching. I can appreciate it after losing my dad. It's strange but his death and my grandpa's when I was ten are the only ones that really hit me hard. I cherish memories of dad. Thank you for this lovely poem. Shancy.
-
Good
That's really sad. But it's a good poem to remember him by. I liked it a lot. It was really well written and it flowed really well. It seems full of good memories. Good job on it. -
...
This is depressingly magnificent, on so many levels. I do believe I had to take peak into my own heart. So many perplexing inquires this musters. But more-so than anything else, is the fact that this happened, and you have shared it with us. One must ponder the reaches of the hands of God (or the likes)...the instilled confines of fate. Surely, one cannot be without the other, just as a cause clings - its soul bared on sleeve - to the effect. It has long since passed, and you have changed. Now you happen...I must wonder now, if it is I who is doing the same. Truly astonishing.
Edited on Mar 14, 11:25 p.m. because 'spelling, spelling, spelling...'. -
I thought I had revisited this poem. If I have, I apologize for wasting your points. It is a great and sad poem. All the best.
-
Good
If i had a very strong relationship with my father now as i did when i was younger, i would absoulutely adore it but right now for personal reasons we dont get along that much. But remebering those days while reading this poem it actually brought tears to my eyes. i think im going to go make up with my father, well at least when he gets home. All because of you. Thanks Doc! -
SO BEAUTIFUL! SWEET AND TENDER.
I am sitting here with tears on my cheeks, this is a tender and beautiful poem which I am sure he has read and is now looking down so very proud of all of you.
-
I like the poem, it shows great love for your father and how he showed his love to you, and what he has missed. A little work on the rythmn of the lines would be good though.
-
GREAT
GREAT POEM I LOVE IT VERY DEEP -
oh wow you actually brought tears to my eyes, and that's almost impossible! this was wonderful you wrote it so simply but the emotions were so strong. good job and good luck in my contest!
angi -
Beautifully written!!!!! :F
I can only imagine what you feel when thinking of your father, whom you lost at a very tender age..... I absloutely adore mine and I do not know what I would do when the day comes, he is 76 as we speak and each day is a marvel to me because he is still here.....
Your poem/tribute to your father is beautifully composed and put togehter, you have touched this readers heart with your words.
I thank you for sharing with me and all others here on AP your wonderful works,
As always, AngelicMistress -
Lovely poem and a fine tribute to your father. Sudden death of a loved one is so hard to cope with, but it's good to have some fond memories of them.
Ann -
heart wrenching. I can relate so well. My dad also passed and he never got to see his grandchildren grow. One thing is so true when you said,
"you took a part of us with you."
there will always be a void in my life, especially on family gatherings, when we miss him the most.
what a beautiful peice you have written. -
this was soooo beautiful and sad. what a wonderful tribute to a dad who left too soon. Sometimes life can be so unfair. this was fantastic, im so glad I clicked here
-
This piece is truely amazing. The direction you start in allowed me to connect to the poem. When my grandpa died, I remember thinking just wake up you're here just wake up. He is the only person i've known to die that I was close to. The line that touched me the most was "they said
we should fly to visit you in heaven," it brought so many good memories to mind. Thank you so much!
-
Beautiful, beautiful poem Granny! This has to be one of the most touching pieces I have read by you.....great write!....DOC
-
Quality time is the key to contentment and leaving friends and loved ones with solid memories. Thanks for sharing your work.
All the best. -
so sad... very moving. you've almost moved me to tears! ((hugs to you!)) and i like the last few lines the best :::
Only pictures remain
keeping you in our sight
and in our hearts;
you took a part of us with you
that day so long ago
you left without saying good-bye.
for i think those are the lines that make the poem in my eyes. great write!!! good job. -
this poem touches me and i feel the same way because i remember all the memories that i had with my uncle but i know you are talking about your dad. sorry about your lost
-
this is a very emotional and moving poem I also find my self writing more about the deathof my mother here lately sorry for your lost and thank you for sharing this poem
-
Oh...the everlasting pain of loss. Unfortunately, it seems to be an intricate part of life. Your beautiful poem gave me visions of you and your family with dad all those years ago. Thank God for memories. This is a lovely poem with your emotions and sentiments shining through. Thanks for sharing. Peace be with you.
-
compassionate write
Dearest One
I lost my own father at the age of little less than four. He was a brave man and individualistic; was a racer, fearless, dramatic, brilliant and hardworking and loved his wife and children and wine (none could or would tell me whether he was an alcoholic). God stopped him in his tracks by means of a heartattack.
I did not miss him, because my mother used to talk to "Our Father in Heaven" twice daily and I thought she meant my father, so God and my father became one and the same person, until I was old enough to distinguish. By then the bonding on both levels was irreversable.
Your poem brought back all the old memories -- and it also proved to me once again that the invisible circle of love cannot be broken. Thank you for sharing your own sentiments and memories.
Myra
Edited on Mar 12, 9:38 p.m. because ''. -
EXCELLENT!!!!!!!!!!
This was beautiful! It made me cry, but in a good way! I lost an uncle, that was like my father, that I write about all the time also. I know how hard it is to find just the right words and then feel like they never exactly say what you want them to say. You did a excellent job expressing your emotions! -
SO SAD & BEAUTIFUL!
SO SAD but an emotional and fitting tribute to your father who died far too young in a tragic accident as many other Fathers, Brother, Sisters, Mothers, Sons, Daughters, Husbands, Wifes, True Friends, and Lovers do! I could fee the love and the longing to see him and go fishing and camping with him again in every carefully heart written line! A fine piece, indeed! IF you haven't seen it yet (I may have sent you there before - Getting up in years - I'm not sure) please take a look at my short and sweet poem called THE GATHERING that may be of further comfort and hope to you after all these years without your DAD who sounds like he was a wonderful Father until he passed away too early in life. Rest assured he is with the angels in Heaven and is proud of all of you and knows that you will all be reunited one day in God's kingdom.
Peace & Love!
Earl
You and your DAD gets my first appluse of the day! Hip Hip Horray. -
This piece is so filled with love and sadness. It captured my tears. Excellent piece!
-
sad
-
I see an emotional narrative in this poem...At times, it came as a complaining child...at times a mother, at times a daughter and at times struggle for existence.
Good job!
D -
This brought tears to my eyes for its beauty. The line about flying to heaven to visit him really hit me hard. Wonderful work.
-
So sad and so loving and so much more than a tribute or even a eulogy ... it seems you've reached that special time when mourning and loss grow into remembrance, something you can, with a kind of beauty, share with us all.
Mike -
I should tell you first. Tom Fox, a hostage in Iraq, died Friday, his body found in Bagdad. I knew him for about twenty years and he went to my Quaker meeting. I called him my friend.
This is a lovely, and moving piece. I like how you tie in events, family history, nuculear and extended. I like the salty comments placed with smiling lips on the memories at the grave yard. Excellent work. Love, Tom B. -
Wonderful
Another wonderful piece G, such emotion and deep intent within this verse. Style topic and message are wonderful here. You put it all together quite well. Thanks for the chance to read it, cant wait for the next as usual, take care and keep it up
-
Obviously this is true... And I know this is personal...
I am sorry I do not have 4000 applauds for sharing some true grief.
I feel you pain--- Honestly read my recents-
Thank you for sharing... -
Only pictures remain
keeping you in our sight
and in our hearts;
you took a part of us with you
that day so long ago
you left without saying good-bye.
it is said that no body can bring back the lost past but here I can see the magic..it brought tears to my eyes..great write...
-
24KT Poem
Very sweet tribute to your Dad, I believe I have read some of your other poems about him. Isn't it funny how poetry brings out those deep memories I think anyone who has been fortunate enough to have a happy childhood can relate to this This poem has a wonderful flow and shows beauty through the sadness. All my best in the contest!
-
very touching...keep up...
-
Oh Grannyeri,
You have managed to bring goose bumps upon me. This is so incredibly sad.....but a really nice pen. You tell of so much fun and happiness along with the sadness that can creep up out of no where when we loose someone unexpectably..I love your creation in this piece....Only one error and it is in this line third verse:
All brought suddenly
to and end one afternoon
should be an and not and
Keep these great pens flowing!!
Smiles
your way >>>>>> Sandy San-d
Edited on Mar 12 because ''. -
a sad poem but written so lovingly of your dad. it really is a story of how you remember him and it is writtten very beautifully of him.
-
granny, i am so sorry that your dad died so young. i am glad that you can write such beautiful memories of him. this was so very vivid that i could see you there fishing with him. it is an awesome story. viyanna
-
Aw this was a great poem! It was very touching. It just painted a perfect image in my head. Almost like I was there.
-
thats awesome!
-
Unforgettable
Wow-very touching and quite effective. This well-written piece took me on the journey with you,provided a lens for me to see a bit... tells a true story from the heart...and those words just pulled me right in...for ex. "I catching perch after perch..." can be for the "I" and the "eye-catching"...thanx for the journey-great write and great read...something about AP that just helps you to open up once you get going....peace
-
wow... this is amazing, you're truly talended.
~K~
Adding your comment:
1 - 57 of 57
30 old applause
