This is a poem I wrote a year or so ago and actually done some editing on as recently as last night. I believe this is the finished product though.
To give you a little background on this poem, I have to tell you I was suffering through a pretty major bout of depression at the time. At that time, I felt as though I would never live out the year. I had no particular reason to justify this thinking, but it was prevalent in my mind, nonetheless.
With these dreadful thoughts of an early demise constantly running through my head, it also made me think of all the things I was going to miss down the road. Including the day my daughter's would get married.
I guess with those overwhelming emotions at the time, this poem really just kind of wrote itself. I never really wrote the poem specifically as if it was one of my daughters and I as the characters, but more of this is how I could see someone who actually was ill, dealing with the situation.
I hope never to have to experience such a thing, and I'm glad I don't have the overwhelming depression I was in at that time, which drew out the inspiration for this poem.
Anyhow, here it is I hope you like it.
Why I Had To Leave
From the bed he held her hand
Remembered castles in the sand
Her future played upon his mind
The happiness that she would find
Through all his pain and suffering
She stood beside him and she'd sing
Her soothing voice would ease the pain
And drench his soul like summer rain
The moment came they feared would come
They said goodbye each one by one
The little girl cried "Daddy no!"
"Please tell me why you have to go!"
Her mother pulled her to the side
Tried to explain why Daddy died
But she just couldn't understand
Just yesterday he'd held her hand
Now 12 years later down the road
She sits and stares at a ring of gold
All dressed in white for marrying
But she is missing one last thing
He isn't there to make her smile
He isn't there to walk the aisle
She wonders how it would have been
To have him more than just within
Her Mother's eyes were filled with tears
That showed the pain of a dozen years
She passed to her an envelope
With the last words her Daddy wrote
And on the front these words were scrawled
As from beyond as if he'd called
I won't be there to give away
So please don't read 'til Wedding Day
Her eyes were focused at the top
The words she read just made her stop
And her heart began to grieve
As she read "This Is Why I Had To Leave."
"There was no way I could protect
The ones I loved 'cause I was sick
I couldn't help you climb a tree
I couldn't soothe a scraped up knee
How could I teach you how to drive
When I could barely stay alive
Just long enough to write this down
For you to read while in your gown
Since then I've watched you everyday
I've seen you grow and seen you play
And I've been able to protect
And if was needed, interject
I've watched you all throughout your life
And now I'll watch you make a wife
I've been so proud to be your Dad
So please don't let this make you sad
So now you know I've never left
And you have never been bereft
I've always been, I'll always be
Within your heart I'll never leave"
-Robert Joles