By Crystal C Jones

when i was young,
you used to stand so tall,
you used to have so much patience,
you had time for all.

but as the years passed, your hair turned grey,
the light in your eyes started to fade away.
i was about 12 when you slowly stopped caring,
told me to talk to my mother because your patience was wearing.

you never met any of my boyfriends,
were absent at my celebration dance,
never saw me dressed all pretty,
but never regretted the chance.

left for work at late night hours,
maybe saw you once a day.
the times we did cross each other's paths...
we didn't have much to say.

we've always had our differences,
but things are just getting worse,
we can't even talk
without having to yell or curse.

you say you want respect,
but that's the thing you don't give me,
i just wish a beautiful, intelligent daughter
is the thing that you would see.

i'm now sweet sixteen,
just in case you didn't know,
In the car you asked if i was fifteen...
are there things that make that show?

i've never asked you for money,
been able to pay my own way,
the times i did need help
my mother saved the day.

you think i'm some kind of lost cause,
no direction, drifting through life,
but i wanna go to college,
have a good job and be a wife.

i don't take the things you've done for granted,
i'm thankful for the things i have,
but i would give everything away,
just to have the man i used to call my 'Dad.'

i have a lot of friends,
whose fathers just ran away,
leaving behind a family,
it's such a great price to pay.

even though i've been around
sixteen years on this earth,
to me you are now a stranger,
i don't know which one is worse.

i miss the days we used to
play and talk for hours,
used to ease the pain
with candy and flowers.

now i'm lucky if I get an "I'm sorry..."
daddy, things just aren't the same,
to me you are like a game...
and daddy, I'm afraid i'm losing.

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