Dear Dad | Teen Ink

Dear Dad MAG

By Anonymous

I am not what you think I am.
I am not a tall, forceful woman making the decisions of her
   own mind and body.
I am a young girl taken advantage of by the world in which I
   live.
I am a victim of a complication of the brain,
not the complication that is victimizing you.
I am neither the sticks nor the stones.
I am the skinny bones you found me as because names
   and images can hurt me.

I am not the cargo ship.
I am the package that was enclosed, stamped, and shipped
away.
I am not the knife that cut into your finger while you were
   preparing our food.
I am the cucumber sliced into pieces.

I am not the tornado;
I am not the storm.
I am the house spinning out of control, the windows drenched in rain.

I am not the teacher.
I am the student.

Dad, I know that your blood vessels are enflamed, your muscles frozen,
when someone tries to hurt me.
But enemies aren’t always tangible.

You once pushed me on the swings, but now I have to make it to the
   top on my own. Dad, you have to guide me with the gentle warmth of
   your fingers wrapped around mine, not the forcefulness of your palms
   against my shoulders.

Dear Dad, please continue to learn how to love me.
I love you.



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This article has 27 comments.


on Oct. 11 2010 at 1:55 am
shreya756 PLATINUM, Gurgaon, Haryana, Other
27 articles 4 photos 19 comments

Favorite Quote:
When it gets dark only then can you see the stars...
If a million people believe in a foolish thing, it is still a foolish thing.

This was really touching.

kristinaaa said...
on May. 24 2010 at 12:34 pm
kristinaaa, Saugus, Massachusetts
0 articles 0 photos 3 comments
This was so touching !

on Nov. 14 2009 at 9:45 pm
alli.babi. SILVER, Pendleton, Indiana
6 articles 0 photos 10 comments

Favorite Quote:
in order to be irreplaceable, one must always be different.--Coco Chanel.

this was a great poem. it reminds me of me and my father.

JaseC GOLD said...
on Jul. 3 2009 at 1:12 am
JaseC GOLD, Granbury, Texas
19 articles 0 photos 44 comments
better than my stuff

on Jul. 2 2009 at 11:57 pm
Beautiful, I cried. <3

on Jul. 2 2009 at 10:10 pm
Annmarie BRONZE, Orpington, Other
4 articles 1 photo 1 comment
It's a beautiful poem...reminds me in a way of the perfect relationship I used to have with my dad before everything went wrong...

ShannonMC. said...
on Jul. 2 2009 at 4:15 am
ShannonMC., Toronto, Other
0 articles 0 photos 1 comment
This is really amazing

Kelseym BRONZE said...
on Jul. 2 2009 at 2:21 am
Kelseym BRONZE, East Prairie, Missouri
3 articles 0 photos 2 comments
This is a very good piece. For sure five stars.

on Jul. 1 2009 at 9:54 pm
Thisbe Hollis :P BRONZE, Washington, District Of Columbia
2 articles 0 photos 4 comments
This is beautiful but hard to deciher

on Jul. 1 2009 at 9:28 pm
the visual imagery was terrific. i'm sure everyone has felt like that once in their lives, i know i have. Great piece of work!

on Jul. 1 2009 at 1:19 am
FracturedAngel SILVER, Corning, New York
5 articles 0 photos 5 comments
Like many of the others have said before me, this poem is very relateable. this poem sounds like the exact feelings i have towards my father. and it was written beautifully.

on Jun. 30 2009 at 5:51 pm
peacenow17 SILVER, Auburn, New York
6 articles 0 photos 8 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Be yourself and never let anyone tell you otherwise" Andy Sixx

This poem is so beautiful. It reminded me of my own dad, except for the last part.

on Jun. 30 2009 at 1:23 am
Farah saunders BRONZE, Brooklyn, New York
3 articles 0 photos 1 comment
wow that was deep i can relate to it in away of ishing my father was there for me

on Jun. 28 2009 at 10:19 pm
Scornedtruth BRONZE, PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania
2 articles 0 photos 5 comments
THis is great. IT's so relateable. For me personally and for so many others because the feelings you expressed are universal. It's really well written.

-Megz- BRONZE said...
on Jun. 28 2009 at 2:42 pm
-Megz- BRONZE, Wayne, Nebraska
1 article 1 photo 1 comment
I absolutely loved it!

great job :]

on Jun. 28 2009 at 1:41 am
Rose Wolf SILVER, Boise, Idaho
5 articles 0 photos 6 comments
That is great. So true, so well done

on Jun. 27 2009 at 11:40 am
Jennifer Milspaw BRONZE, Apalachin, New York
1 article 0 photos 1 comment
wow i was cryinng it was so goood!

on Jun. 26 2009 at 2:13 pm
volleychick BRONZE, Aurora, Colorado
2 articles 1 photo 3 comments

Favorite Quote:
"live life like theres no tomorrow"

i love this it is AMAZING it brought tears to my eyes!!! great job

on Jun. 24 2009 at 7:26 pm
individualJess BRONZE, Johannesburg, Other
1 article 0 photos 1 comment
absolutly beautiful

on Jun. 24 2009 at 4:14 am
dakota tillie BRONZE, Pioneer, Louisiana
1 article 0 photos 1 comment
i loved this this is amazin work this reminds me of my dad and me and how we used to play when i was little