father of mine

Sitting across from my father on the boat, I notice just how much time has changed him.

The clothes he wears match him well, and their holes have stories to share. They’ve been with him for years, and won’t soon be thrown out. Baseball caps mask his balding head. His remaining deep black curls have faded, some even to grey, the same shade as his scruffy beard. A front tooth was lost from years of tobacco chewing, and his bottom teeth seem more crooked than before. It's difficult to see he's missing a tooth unless he smiles big, and in those moments it doesn't really matter that he is. When he's happy, everyone's happy. His hands are hard, callused, and worn from stone carving, but they still hold strength tight and can still hug tenderly. Years in the shop have given him a perpetual dusty appearance. While he stands from dawn to dusk carving stone, time carves age into his olive skin. But time has over looked his soft eyes. They're as blue as the bonnet flowers on the road side, and proof that youthfulness once resided in his tired body. Even with all of the aged imperfections, he’s still handsome. I love you Daddy.

dreams and memories

I had a dream of you last night. You kissed me, and I kissed back. I had forgotten the feeling you get when you kiss someone you like for the first time. I'm glad I remember how that feels now. Of course, I have't really felt it since October, but I remember that there is such a feeling. It's something to look forward to again.