To. My. Dad. Poem by D.J. Ray

You say I can’t swim
Then I outrun the fish
You say I can’t run
Then I win the marathon
You say I’m stupid
And I win the Pulitzer Genius Award
You say I’m weak
Then I lift the mountain
You say I can’t write
Then I wrote a symphony

And I thought I couldn’t do it?
What happened to that?
I thought I was stupid?
All thanks to you dad
You have made me what I am today
My skies aren’t blue
But a uniform gray
Feel like a robot every single damn day

And through it all I can’t fight you
For you’re bound to win
You hold every part of my life in your hands
And you know it but you destroy it and laugh
You won’t even let me write anymore
The net is closed to me
And it’s all thanks to you
My only outlet just went kaboom
And for what
What joy did you gain
For the ice in my heart
And the look on my face
Tell me or I will die a disgrace