Papa

If you are ever to read this I wish to thank you

You had more strength than anyone I know

You glowed brighter than any promise

You are a hero

An impossible and unnatainable persona

Your legacy of saving lives as a firefighter, alone, marks you as a saint

But your life did not amount to your occupation

You were a loving father, a mentor and a scholar

Your impact on the people who knew you was enormous

You taught humility, justice and perseverance

You wrote books from your heart

You painted the things you held dear

Even when Mimi passed on you never stopped making meaning

In the aftermath of heartbreak and dissolution you surpassed human limitations

You carried on your history of love, morality and art

Whenever I reflect on how broken and torn I may be I think of you

I recall that the blood running through me carries a message

Life is to be lived

and love is to be given

Thank you, Papa