Family

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Dad, you were born 1904. I came here in 53.
Youngest of five. Heard you were an only child.

You used to sit in the kitchen, pencil in hand, drawing,
Sketching men's profiles.
You drew hats, 40's styles,
Gangsters no doubt, made you smile!

Cagney, Bogart, Raft, you knew
Of course you loved good humour too!
Smoked Weights, drank a few drops of whiskey,
Pint of Stout.
You drank alone,
There was no doubt you had reason to, 
No siblings,
Lone was all you knew.

I used to look at your face,
The blue vein in your left temple.
I felt the solitude you tried to hide,

Your fingernails were always clean,
As was your person.
I recall you brushing our shoes,
Each Sunday morning,  polished for Mass.

My fringe used to annoy you
So you put a clip on it, to stop
My hair falling in my eyes.

You were my Dad for only 20 years.
You taught me well, to ignore my fears.
For fear can haunt you til you recognise 
Fear's an illusion,
So you start to smile......

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