She stands there-
Salt brimmed rain threatening to overflow,
From her aqua ice eyes.
My sister- no more than 10- won't; can't; believe it.
"Daddy's not gone." she insists.
I look away;
I'm a hope killer-
The bringer of news of a shatterd family unity.
"Daddy's gone." I say
"Daddy's not gone." she screams.
"Daddy's not gone."
Silently I begin to wonder,
Was Dad ever really there?
His heart was always with us.
His soul often blackberrying with other women.
His mind always lingering on the constant threat of debt.
His body a slave to the labor of a barely paid for life.
Did Mom ever have his love?
"Daddy's not gone." she cries again.
"Daddy's not gone."
I look away;
It's too much pain to endure.
Life has been so cruel to her-
A girl of 10 losing her father,
To the nonexistent love that took him away-
Love that we recieve no more: if we had it at all.
But life will go on,
As it always did;
Just no more yelling that shakes the house (peirces our ears),
Trembles our body and bones.
Again I hear her words echoing.
But i feel hopless- not knowing what to do.
"Daddy's not gone! Daddy's not gone! Daddy's not gone!"
Shes screaming now.
What do I do?
How do i hold her together-
put the puzzle peices of her together?
Do I catch the peices of her cracked and wrecked mirror of a life?
Crazy glue can't fix this mess.
Nothing can.

And then,
The door opens.
Dad comes through with a box.
Outside he places it in his truck.
Coming back in,
My sister rushes towards him,
But he pushes her away;
Rejection awashed in her face-
In her heart.
"Daddy don't go!" she demands chasing after him.
"Daddy don't go, don't go!"
He ignores her;
Yet again.
He collects his things,
In heart wrenching silence,
As we all watch,
In a storm of terror seizing calm.
As he leaves,
He spares no look back.
The door slams- my sister sinks to the floor-
Her face buried in the carpet.
"Daddy's gone." she wimpers.
"Daddy's gone."
Reality is horrible to this young one as it dawns upon her.
"Daddy's gone."