I hope he can express himself
Without breaking her boundaries
It is easy to forget
It hurts to remember
That he became a better man
On the day that he met her
A heart once cold
Ignited by her ember
How she turned his heart of leather
Into something tender
He sits on this lonely cold November
Pondering how a stranger
Could make his soul feel like he met her
In another life
In the depths of his dreams
Alone in the crowd
How the stars in her eyes
Made him feel seen
The monkey on his mind
She made him believe
That love was the gravity
That pulled on the seams
Of his stoic façade
If there is a god
She is the essence of a pretty blonde
Sundresses and scars
She taught him that perfection
Is the product of our flaws
She is the songbird
Singing melodies through the jungle trees
The butterflies in his gut
The weakness in his knees
That is her
The universe could never do her justice with these words
Let him be frank
He owes you his life
A message of my thanks.

I found a friend in you,
You whom I know, but have not seen
You chase the rains away,
Put a smile to my face.

Thank you,
You mean so much to me,
More than you know.
I found a friend in you,
You whom I respect.
When no one else was with me,
You were with me,
Giving me inspiration.
I never walked alone until then.

For being with me
For giving me strength.
For being my friend,
I didn’t feel alone anymore.
You were with me,

For making me smile,
Even on my worst days.
You make me happy,
Give me hope,
And suddenly I don’t feel like I'm alone.
Because you're with me
And I'll be with you
So let's be happy
And thank you.

The black and white swirls that I saw changed my life.
Waking up everyday to watch something funny gave me a reason to keep going.
It gave me a reason to keep taking steps toward my own self happiness,
But now that your gone,
I'm lost,
But I'm not afraid,
I'm not afraid to wake up and take a step,
Not afraid to listen to my own clock,
Not afraid of the inevitability of death,
I have the strength to keep going, even after your passing,
Others feel the same way, and have tried to cling on to the videos, I admit. I have some downloaded, but I am deleting them now,
Because I don't have to cling to the past to proceed forward,
So as I hit delete on these memories,
I sit and cry,
With a smile on my face,
So thank you,
For everything

when he called me a *****,
I said "thank you."

if a ***** is what a woman is
when she calls you out
on your ignorance,
then yes,
I am a *****.

if a ***** is what a woman is
when she tells you "no"
and it hurts your fragile ego,
then yes,
I am a *****.

if a ***** is what a woman is
when she uses her voice
and stands up for herself,
then yes,
I am a *****.

so if you call me a *****,
my response will
always be "thank you."

if having my own opinions
and my own thoughts
makes me a *****
then yes,
I am a *****.

and I am proud of that.

We have imperfections
That is clear to see
There are many subjects
On which opinions disagree

Find ourselves butting stubborn heads
Perhaps the reason why
Is we are both Tauruses
The bull of the zodiac signs

All mixed in conversation
We smile then we glower
One moment words honey sweet
Next sentences sour

But though we sometimes fight
Would not ever trade
In for a different dad
Hope you feel the same

And asking me to change ways
Is only because you care
Wish I could take my habits off
Like clothing I wear

When you look disappointed
Pains me inside
It feels like you don't notice
How hard I tried

It is not easy to make you proud
With the life I live
No matter how you disapprove
Still find a way to forgive

When I was younger remember on drives
You would always stop to get us ice cream
Spoiled me to the point that if not
I would throw a fit and scream

Looking at my younger self
Shake my head and laugh
Wishing I had realized from the start
How fast it flies
This short life we have

When I needed breaks from school
You would allow me to play hookey
Knew staying home one day wouldn't hurt
I would sleep in and chill in my hoodie

When I searched for guidance
Every topic open
Most supportive parents in the world
Inappropriate and outspoken

You may not behave like other dads
More than one occasion forgot
Picking me up from volleyball practice
Hour late pulled in the parking lot

But I would not ask you to change a thing
Love you just the way you are
Scruffy
Honest
Embarrassing
Drinking out a Mason jar

I am lucky I get to call you my father
Might have your fair share of flaws
When it comes to being there for me
Deserve a round of applause

I know if ever needing to seek help
To turn to you without hesitation
Genorosity is unconditional
Beyond all reciprocation

I will not get the chance to pay you back
Think we both know that is true
Best I can do is say "Thank you for everything"
And strive to one day be like you