Love You Dad Poem by Margaret Alice Second

Anxiety, a mental state without explanation, poisons
the beauty of life and leads to a never-ending quest
for relief: at night I recount my blessings, the safety
and well-being which led human beings to colonise
the earth, yet every day a dark shadow fills my eye;
why was I born with this feeling of foreboding - why

Does feeling well require so much work? I dare not
relax and let my mind go - the infestation of weeds
and pests happens naturally and I have to fight it all
the time, it requires focus and vigilance to keep from
despair about just being alive - which is the biggest
privilege that was poisoned by I don't know what -

Though I know my father had to go - he was old and
had no energy left - when I hear his music, the songs
he loved, a feeling of such abandonment overcomes
me and I wish he were still here, still breathing with
the charm his personality held for me - the hour of
his death was so exquisitely timed to save me

My dad gave his life at just the right time to save mine,
let me rejoice as he gave me the gift of life twice: thank
you dad, your being carried me to safety - thank you so
much and I love you dad…