Never Proud Of You

Twenty years, I’ve held the line,
In silence strong, through rain and shine.
No medals pinned upon my chest,
Just tireless steps and little rest.

I gave my hands to healing pain,
To strangers’ needs, through loss and strain.
Spent 10 years with kids on frozen rinks,
While others cheered, I stood and blinked—
Exhausted, cold, but always there,
A shadow shaped by love and care.

Two hour commute per day, behind the wheel,
To give my small world a safer feel.
A house built by aching limbs,
With every nail, love whispered hymns.
I bled into those walls and beams,
So others lived their easy dreams.

Gravel roads and distant trails,
Where will alone outran the gales.
I conquered Big Sugar, I conquered Unbound,
With fire that scorched the broken ground.
Victories that few could see,
Except the man I swore to be.

But not one time, through all the years,
Through swollen joints or stifled tears,
Did she say what hearts ache to hear—
A truth both simple and sincere:
“I’m proud of you.”

So here I stand, not crushed, but worn,
Not bitter, though my soul feels torn.
I carry silence like a stone,
But I have never walked alone.
For in the mirror, I now see—
A man who’s lived with dignity.

And if her voice won’t ever ring,
I’ll still rise proud of everything.

© 2025 Shawn Oen. All rights reserved