An Innocent Perspective

Brought flowers for you my dear,
Freshly picked just for you.
She picked them this morning,
Matching little bouquets,
One for me and one for you.

With a small sweet smile
She handed them to me.
I picked these for you Mommy,
And here are some for Daddy.

Do you think he will see them,
She asks with a tear in her eye.
Of course he will I tell her while trying not to cry.
I have to be strong for her,
I have been holding on for months.

Our little girl misses you,
And so do I.
It's so hard to stay strong
When you just want to break down.

I must hang on.
I cannot let our child
Lose her father to war
And mother to an inner battle.

They say time heals all wounds,
But does it really?
How is time going to fix this?

My daughter is fatherless,
With a mother who fakes happiness for her.
I am so young yet feel so old.
I must raise our little girl on my own.

They tell me to be proud,
My husband died for our country.
I cannot find the will to be proud.
I can only find the anger and ache
At your leaving us behind.

I am so sorry to feel that way,
But how else should I feel
When watching our daughter
Clutch her favorite teddy bear,
The one you bought for her second birthday,
In one hand and kneeling to place your flowers with the other.

I think of all the memories I share with my father
And stifle my cries as I realize she will never have them.
I wipe away the tears and walk to her side.

Let's go home I say to her.
She smiles up and explains to me
We won't really be home,
Home is where Daddy is
And Daddy is with God but that's okay,
We will see him again.
I stand stunned by our daughter's innocent perspective
So she grabs my hand to lead the way.


*Shoot for the stars & never settle for less*