What’s it like?

What’s it like?



To be embraced,

Tossed in the air ~

Divinity-laced,

To understand fair,

To be caught in mid-flight,

Safe landing in arms

Of heroic might ~

No concept of harm,

From one you’re born of,

Not an ounce of fear,

Simply boundless love,

Continuity by year?



What’s it like?



To feel protection,

Affection, nurturing clean,

Rather than subjugation,

Stifling, lustful glean?

To be placed with esteem ~

Given princess status,

Through eyes of her dream,

Through hearts not hiatus?

To know her armored knight,

ever near, smite all danger ~

Not fear He in the night,

The lurk of the deranger.



What’s it like,

To not be his carnal caddie?

What’s it like,

To have a real daddy?









Shirley Harshenin

(C) 2001, May 8

All Rights Reserved

Author's Notes/Comments: 

Seeing my daughters as they grow up, being loved as a child should be loved by their father, and grieving for what I did not, nor will I ever, have.

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poetvg's picture

I LIKE THIS POEM

Breathe Peace's picture

sparks many thoughts

Lori Moore's picture

Wonderful write. Great expression.

poetvg's picture

Wow your poems are :*)
so lovely they
remind me of some
of Bryan adams love
ballards hes a great
artist ps keep up all
the great work in the future.

Ernest Bevans's picture

There is a duality to your poem that I enjoyed. For me It embraces 2 types of love - Storge and Eros. The first is a maternal/parental kind of love which is clearly felt as we feel the child being tossed up in the air and the look of surprise in her eyes and the look of affectionate joy in the eyes of the father. The second Love which we can call Eros or erotic/romantic parralells The first stanza after a pause created by "what's it like?" In the fourth stanza... now I'm looking at the child Grown into a young woman with her heroic beloved, The final 4 lines shatters the whole crystal image create above with the lines "what's it like to not be his carnal caddie?" and we are taken from dreamy "should be" to a sharp jagged "this is". Wrenching this poem is absolut ly whrenching - what a ride. I guess the phrase "what's it like?" should have set it up for me but because it was only a one liner I buzzed by it and read the second and third... With heart wrenching effect. The message hurts - but the message was brilliantly delivered.

Arnesto Cloete's picture

Another great piece. I loved the poem, though saddened as well. There are many children out there that never experienced the love of a parent. Sometimes abused, neglected, ignored. Children should always be shown love. Childlike enthusiasm and sadness well captured in your work. Well done!

Arnesto Cloete's picture

Another great piece. I loved the poem, though saddened as well. There are many children out there that never experienced the love of a parent. Sometimes abused, neglected, ignored. Children should always be shown love. Childlike enthusiasm and sadness well captured in your work. Well done!

Deborah Russell's picture

It seems to be "the American way". Men in this country are not under the impression that bringing children into this world is a gift, that their very life is being blessed, now women seem to be following that lead. So...many children are fatherless, and almost as many, are motherless. It is a strong poem which is relative to nearly everyone.

Melvin Lee's picture

A very starkly truthful and reflective poem, Shirley. Thanxs for penning down that bit of sentimentality and showing it to us... My heart aches too, for some students who can only cherish the love of one parent...or worse, none. Take care. Smilesz.

pudnsis1's picture

Shirley, Chosen words, a gift so deep enables you to pen these words to keep. Strong, emotional poem. Thought provoking of all the many children who have either one or no parents. They are truely the loved souls. Thanks for sharing. Linda

Ashley Yocca's picture

That was a beautiful poem. It was very sad, but that's how life is sometimes. I'm just glad to know that your child has a wonderful father. A lot of children these don't have that! Ashley :)

Jolee Carter's picture

Nice writing. Painful ending, I thought.

Alan Oosterbaan's picture

Well done

Toni Cox's picture

i like this

Ginger Hansen's picture

i really like this poem, it shows great feeling and i think you're a very talenetd writer.