Vivien C. Patrick

Pointe-A-Pierre, Trinidad, West Indies

Vivien is a qualified book keeper. She is retired, but does social work. She enjoys working with children and young adults. She was married to Bennet in 1956. She has been writing poetry for over forty years; published three books of poems and several single ones with The American Poetry Association and The National Library of Poetry. She has received many awards: Poet of Merit Awards, Creative Arts Accomplishment Award, Editor's Choice Awards, Lifetime Membership in The International Society of Poets, and Certificates of Appreciation from President George Bush. Vivien expresses God's love through her poems and hopes to make a difference in the world.

The Labour of Love
Dedicated to Fathers

Looking back at those difficult years that were gone.
I recall all the wrong, we had done.
We could have spent all that time,
In fun and laughter.
Instead of hurting one another.

I smile at times when I remember my childhood years.
How you carried me on your shoulders, almost everywhere.
We had wonderful times together;
But then came those restless years of my life.
When we could not see eye to eye.
I thought that you didn't care anymore,
So I went out to the wrong places, with unsavory people
And got into a lot of trouble.

I am a grownup now, who is still trying to understand
What the labour of love really means.
For it seems that you are always giving, but never receiving.
Dad, I know that I can neither erase the hurt I have caused you
Nor repay you, for all the wonderful things that you still do.
But I want to thank you, for always being there, when I needed you.
For being such a wonderful friend and father.
And for the good times, we shared together.

Please forgive me for the many times, I turned away
And refused to listen to what you had to say.
It might seem very childish to say this to you,
But it matters not, how old I grow, I will I never be ashamed
To say, "I love you Dad, I really do."