His hands were strong
I felt them as he held me, carried me
Heard the grinding as he loosened rusty bolts
Watched as he built barns, fences,
Our lives
Felt the restraint as he disciplined
And knew we were safe
In his hands
His heart was strong
I watched him cry, and felt the hot tears
While he forgave me, inspired me
I knew he would give his money, his advice,
His time
Take a bullet if need be
For any of us
Right in the heart
His mind was strong
As he taught me, corrected me, surprised me
With what kinds of things he knew
How he could figure things out so quickly
Amazed us
What use was there for a science book?
When my dad was around,
Speaking his mind
His back was weak
And laid him out more than once, I guess
We weren’t sure how to handle that
But he always seemed to get back up
(So far)
More than anyone else, he could push himself
With the entire world
Riding on his back.