My Dad Poem by Dean Meredith

When I was young
My Dad drank a lot
He still does
Though less than he used to
Now he waters it down
With a dash of lemonade
A little bit of sweet light bitterness
To go with his light bitter beer
He likes a drink, my Dad
Has done for a very long time
He's a good man
Has been for as long as I've known him
Like me, he has a bad temper
And if fuelled by strong spirits
We sometimes lose it
I remember when I was a boy
Him throwing me down the hall
Oh, I probably deserved it
But I also remember him
Kicking the footy with me
In the back yard
And him off working hard for us
Over the years I've noticed something
He's a man of great integrity, my Dad
I got sore at him a few times
When he didn't take my side
It seemed disloyal to me
When I was hurting
And needed him with me
In my corner
But now I realize
I was in the wrong
And he's not in that business
Of taking sides
He gives most a fair go
And has a genuine regard for people
Sure, like me, he's made mistakes
But I'm so damned proud
To call him my Dad