A little mercy now…

A little mercy now..

My father never cried, he never complained about life.

My father rarely smiled with the burden of life surrounding him.

His body and heart gave up,

in the struggle of living.

One night, he got up and left us.

I never understood in ways in my youth.

I denounced his ways of living and

I could not forgive him.

Till my life became a useless journey.

On a September day in 1990.

My dreams, my hope became a fool’s dream.

Now the world was pushing me back into a corner and

I couldn’t break the walls of disappointment away.

I learn, my father was just a man,

trying to keep everyone happy and 

who gave my dad something in return?

Who was there when my father saw his job took from him and

his wife. Love turn to sour and coldness.

He could give us children, just enough.

This broke his heart.

Once proud man, now tried to live.

He found peace, only in the bottles of rum.

I was lucky and I told my father on his death bed.

I know you did your best,

I know the damn wars and life.

Broke your heart and mind.

I know you cried,

only tears you could feel.

You create a river of pain never to stop.

I know now.

You were just a man.

I pray he knew.

How much we loved him.

Someday at the great Ojibwa Pow Wow in the sky.

I will thank you, my father.

Coyote