I DID NOT KNOW HIM THEN
I did not know him then…
That little boy of five
As he stood at a grave and wondered
Why his dad was not alive
I did not know him then…
His life changed that way so.
Did he feel confused or afraid?
Did he feel all alone?
I did not know him then..
As he lived above the store.
As he played with friends but helped his mom
Did he wish for more?
I did not know him then…
All those summers in Tennessee
As he rode horseback in the fields
Healthy and tan as could be.
I did not know him
then…
A school boy in the city
As he cheered for a team that played close
The Reds in Cincinnati
I did not know that older boy
His uncle would take in
As he played with cousins he would love
And keep memories that would never end.
I did not know that teenager
When a stepfather he did gain.
The troubles that would follow,
Would bad memories always remain?
I did not know that high school boy
Who walked long to practice ball
Who showed his talents he possessed
The first “no hitter” baseball displayed in the hall.
I did not know the man
Who dated his future wife.
Who decided to marry her
And change their way of life.
I did not know him then.
I only knew my dad
Sometimes he made me happy
Sometimes he made me sad
But all the things he lived
Made him what he would come to be…
A man of character and love
That’s what was known to me.
Your daughter, Donna