My Father Remains My Father Poem by elijah rottok

When I think about my father,
The word Protector comes to mind,
He is protective because he is concerned about my well-being,
Asking questions about where I was and with who
He shielded the family from many problems, didn't complain;
most of the time kept quiet to protect us
from knowing the threats and risks we were exposed to.
He showed up when I was in trouble and did everything to fight for me
To the man who protects
My father, remains my father.

A man is designed to be a giver,
In pleasure he gave seed to my mother,
and brought me forth to life,
He is a provider,
Not only for material stuff,
but more importantly, perspective, insight,
wise counsel, direction and leadership,
He spoke to the children of what they can become and what they can do,
He inspired us to do greater things
He adds to my life making it richer and full because he is in it.
To the one who provides,
My father remains my Father.

Every man has that goal, that target, that place he wants to get his family to,
On order to get there he got out every morning
to tend to his work so as to fend for us,
If he stayed home and mingled,
Then we would stagnate and not move forward
To the man with the plan,
My father remains my father.

It is not easy being a father,
It is difficult to love a woman trying hard to become a man
When a woman prides herself
of being capable of doing what the man does,
The man asks, If you take my role then what do you need me for?
It is confusing when a man is expected to be tough
and the same time be in touch with his inner feelings and cry once in a while,
We don't know whether to hold the baby or change the diapers,
We don't know whether to buy the dishes or wash the dishes,
Fathers continue to be criticised and disrespected openly.
To the man holding it down in the muds of confusion,
My father remains my father.

More and more fathers are quitting, walking away,
Leaving behind children who think it's their fault,
the young people are left so mad because they never knew their father,
They missed out on a role model,
To the one who left us,
My father remains my Father.

In his final days,
Father, just like his fore fathers,
bestows a special Patriarchal blessing upon us, and our children,
And when he is long gone,
He leaves us an inheritance to help us carry on,
That one day you will remember and say,
My father remains my father.

- Kandie Rottok