I wrote this poem the day my dad died on February 21, 2000.
None, was a greater man than he.
Not one, a greater father than him.
Happy Father’s Day, Daddy!! This is for you.
"My Daddy"
A strong man
with strong hands,
a strong heart and mind-
That was my daddy.
A gentle man
with gentle hands,
a gentle heart and mind-
That was my daddy.
So wise, so smart,
So good and kind,
So huge was his heart-
That was my daddy.
He knew so much
so much I learned
from listening to his stories,
But, no matter if he’d win or lose,
he was still a man of glory.
He gave with a selfless heart,
he gave so willingly.
His main concern was not himself,
but only his family.
His family was his pride and joy.
We were his motivation.
Especially that little one,
Teodora kept him on his toes-
For her, he’d watch the same Barney video a million times,
and even sing along to words he didn’t know.
The sacrifices he made,
the love and support he gave
was all we really needed,
His honesty, his dignity, his modesty,
his steadfast integrity
was how he had succeeded.
He’d go to work
despite the pain.
He’d drive us places
despite the rain.
And every night, he’d kneel before God to pray,
and thanked him for the life he lived each day.
He loved the Lord so dearly
for he was his life’s foundation.
There was no doubt in his mind
that God was his salvation.
All who encountered him
could instantly tell
he knew how to fight,
and he fought well
to get what he wanted in life.
And all who knew him
could be certain
knew he would fight until the battle was won.
His confidence and boldness
commanded the respect of those nearby,
But it did not stop him
from wiping a tear,
holding a hand,
or lending an ear.
That was my daddy.
The way he signed his name,
the sound of his voice,
his big, strong brown hands,
his lips always most,
the curl of his black hair,
the size of his feet,
his huge square glasses,
his desk not always neat.
All of these things
wer a part of this man;
all these things
we loved so dearly about him.
And whether you knew him for life,
or if you were only the one who rang up his groceries
at the supermarket,
You can be sure that
you will never forget him.
And that is my daddy.
“The poem is dedicated in memory of my incredibly wonderful father, Maurice, who passed away on February 21, 2000 at 8:30 in the morning. He was 57 years old, and he’ll be turning 58 on March 13, 2000. He was born in 1942 in Washington D.C. I was incredibly blessed enough to have him as a father for 15 incredible years and 3 months. I will forever love him and admire him."