Time's Gift

Our Dad.
A kind and gentle soul.
He was a father
and so much more.
A patient man
who always saw the best in everyone
and everything.
He was a steady guide through stormy seas;
both pilot
and steering star.
Dad was the one who would keep his head
when those about were losing theirs.
When we were little
he would dance with us balanced on his toes.
He would blow perfect smoke rings
as he pulled on his pipe,
and sit in comfortable, reflective silence.
Dad was an eager teacher
and a humble poet
with the inner strength of a tall pine.
He could explain the world in simple terms;
from the tiny veins in a fallen leaf,
to the inner workings of an outboard motor.
He was a quiet man who
when he spoke
we paused to listen
and we heard.
He was the loving substance that bound us.
And that beautiful Love endures.