Left at Sea

I am not sure if I followed the NaPoWriMo prompt exactly, but my poem is definitely inspired by the prompt to write about a person who is supposed to be admirable, but who I've always had my doubts about. My poem is about my father who passed away last year. 

Left at Sea
By Candace Shultz

He was supposed to be my hero,
My compass in the sea,
A man to judge all men by,
The one who'd stand by me.

He was supposed to be my father,
A constant in my life,
A man who'd always love me
And never cause me strife.

But how can he be my hero
When he left me out at sea
To navigate the waters
Alone as I could be?

How can he be my father
When he was never even there?
For many years I've wondered,
Did he even care?

A father should be with his daughter
And watch her as she grows.
He should love her and guide her,
But he didn't want to, I suppose.

Time stretched between us
Until one day he did die,
And sometimes I still regret
We never said goodbye.

Did he ever love me?
I guess I'll never know,
But I've decided to forgive him
And try to finally let him go.