Solamente Una Vez Poem by Aldo Kraas

Solamente una vez
Dreaming with my father
Each night the pillow calls
Only once, just once, I reach for him across the shadows
Distant memories
I offer up a prayer, I say his name
Every night, I whisper, Father, are you there
All my hopes, my wishes—do they reach you there
Solamente una vez
I will pray to my father
Every night before I sleep I ask for comfort
And I hope he answers in a language only I remember
Father, I remain your child, oldest, worn, still yours
Not the youngest but the one who always stayed
Solamente una vez
I ask you, Father, hear this
Solamente una
Younger siblings climbing, young and wild, through growing years
Now they're youth, futures bright—they already crossed the line
I recall the way my youth unraveled, faded slow
Now this mirror shows a stranger, someone frail, slow to move
Can't walk anymore, Father
So I ride my silver wheels through every winding lane
All over town—doors open, faces kind, gentle smiles
Sometimes silence settles on my shoulder, still I find meaning
Solamente una vez
I will pray to my father
Every night before sleep, I send a wish
I hope he answers softly, in the language of forgiveness
Father, I am still your child, always, even now
Oldest one who dreams, never say goodbye to this
Solamente una vez
Hear me, Father, carry me