My Charlie Poem by Barry Van Allen

I don't know quite what to call it,
my step - dad made me who I am,
and then He left before I had a chance,
and that's the biggest lie, that I have told!

As a kid I had almost every oppourtunity,
to be a better person than I was,
... I seldom did that!

Although every now and then,
I did exactly what was expected of a kid like me!
I created havoc out of nothing,
at every oppourtunity!

Then my mom found this guy...
among those men my mom had known...
- - - some guy named 'Charlie '!

I was on my way twoards nowhere,
The problem was that I thought that I that I knew better,
and there was no one there to tell me any different!

Then, my mother asked my opinion...
for some reason I said 'Charlie ' - - -
and then she married him!

SO, then he became my Step - dad...
although, to this day, I can't say why!
Call it just a feeling or whatever you
might make of it.
But, I was right!

He didn't try to take control,
that was never Charlie's way,
although, he did...
without me knowing that he was doing that!

I later learned to ride a bicycle, with his help...
and then we played 'catch' in the back yard,
and I learned about his patience,
'cause he put up with me... and taught me!

I found out later that he played 'semi - Pro ',
before he joined the Navy, and maybe could have done more!
But back in 1944... that is what men did!

I always knew that he could take me out,
but, always knew, he never would...
those arms on that man were huge...
for a man that stood 5 foot 4...
I suppose that it had to do with loading of the
shells into the guns on his destroyer...

He was proud of all he did back then,
but, he never ever talked about it much,
For some reason, he was proud of me...
and I was proud of him!

The last time that I saw my Charlie,
we didn't say a lot...
so the triple 'By - pass ' didn't work!
and I tend to think that he knew it would'nt,
I suppose I knew it too!

I walked away, knowing that!
I said 'I'll see you Tommorrow ' - - -
knowing that I wouldn't...
And, I was right!


Someone was working through the same type of thing,
and because that brought back memories,
I lashed out ... because of pain...
and I never should have done that !