My Daddy

       I was happy just to see him smile
      I never wanted more than his love
      And to give him mine in return

      When he got sick I didn‟t know how to act
     Whimpering and timid
      I stared at his eyes; dimmer than I remember
      Lung cancer a disease that kills you twice
      It took all the joy in his face
      Ripped the melodies from his voice

(this disease does not discriminate)

       There were tubes and machines
      A nightmare for me
      Chemo- therapy kept him weak
      I was traumatized didn‟t believe it
     At eleven, it was absurd to digest
      I just wanted a big bear hug from my dad

(lung cancer slowly withered him away)

      The man I loved and played checkers with
     Danced on his toes to The Temptations and The Spinners
     I went from watching T.V shows with him, like M.A.S.H and Star Trek
     To watching him fight a battle with a pre- determined end

      The man who chased boys down the street
     If they got fresh with his girls
     The man who took pride in keeping us safe
     And raised his son to have integrity
    The man who I took cigarettes from
     Flushed them in the toilet, my attempt to protect him

(lung cancer you are the antithesis of hope)

            Earr..ly one morning the telephone rang
     We all woke up drenched in fear

(time was limited, it expired while we were sleeping)

Mommy looked at us and said;
     your daddies passed on……
                                      he's no longer here

(Why did you leave so soon?!?!)

      No tear could capture or express the depth of loss I endured
     Balling profusely, with each memory I recalled, more fluids were
released
     Clear snot and tears combined, grief cradled me like a fetus,
     Exhaustibly crying, anguish onset a migraine, throbbing in my forehead

     Missing you

             Thinking about who we were as a family
(missing you)
           Wondering how things would be different,
     If that disease let you grow old with Mommy

I Love You Daddy

-Adrienne Lyric

-My Daddy is featured in Love In All Its Shades.

Succulent Fruit

He slithers in my life

Sampling the fruit and enjoying the nectar

He never buys a thing

Always looking

Touching

Evaluating

He never buys a thing

Momentarily I‟m a crusader following every word he delivers

Hanging on the charm he spews

Unfortunately venom kills

I've been bitten and I'm dying slowly

Another visit and the fruit are ripe

Succulent

Fresh

Delicately choosing one

He takes a bite, then another

The juices trickle down the crease in his chin

As the seed ends his passionate encounter

With one wave of his hand he slithers away

He sampled the fruit and enjoyed the nectar

Though he never buys a thing

Always looking

Massaging

Rubbing

Observing

He never buys a thing

But, I'm the one

Who lets him eat for free

-Adrienne Lyric

-Succulent Fruit is featured in Love In All Its Shades.

2 Pens & Lint Interview with Adrienne Lyric