Another Fatherless Child

     Brianna Burnett                                          May 25, 2023                           
                              Another Fatherless Child
   Yeah, you are my dad, but I wouldn’t say you are my father.   Looking up and seeing you’re not there, even when times got harder.
  You didn’t take care of me because you were going through so much, at least that’s what you always say. You made me numb, you missed three of my birthdays.
 I don’t understand why you couldn’t be the father you were supposed to be. I don't know if you know but you definitely hurted me.
 You went to jail, as you say “to take care of your woman and kids” If your mission was to leave us desperate for a father you definitely nailed it!
  Your brother is a wonderful father and he can’t even use his legs, you had a chance to be a good father but maybe you just needed to use your head.
  You buy me a pair of shoes and suppose that it fills in your missing role in my life. If you think you’ve failed as a father then you’re totally right.
   I always thought the phrase “ a dad is a daughter's first love” was fake because I believe that a dad is a daughter’s first heartbreak.
   I look at others venting to their dad, but you weren’t even there for me to talk about losing my mother, likely because you chose drugs over your own daughter.
  I feel like you don’t try at all, and my love for you is small.
  I wonder if you will make it to my graduation, but maybe you’ll be at the hospital or the police station.
I figure you won’t be able to see me at my homecoming, or not even my grand opening.
  If your mom has also passed you should know what it's like to feel abandoned, my mom's death just taught me to be independent.
  At this point, I won’t stress about it, I’ve learned you don’t care about me not even a bit.