My Titanium Dad

I won't take long and I’ll skip through the years

And if I happen to cry they’ll be happy tears.

Dads long life began in the state of Illinois

And he was proud to have been a true Cowboy

He lived on a farm and said times were hard

But he loved all the memories of shooting guns in the yard

He left his family when he was real young

He knew he could make it, he knew he was tough

He worked for a man who made him do chores

Then went on his way when he finally got bored

With not many options, he knew not what to do

So he joined the Navy, defended the Red White and Blue

When he got an Honorable Discharge he came back with a wife

He settled down with this lady and began a new life

Together there’s 5 kids that they brought in this world

They had 2 handsome boys and 3 beautiful girls

When time passed on and he thought life couldn’t get finer

He fell in love with a lady who worked in a diner

They bought a house and on one cold Christmas Eve

With some good lovin’ and alcohol I was conceived

And he raised 2 boys that weren’t even his

Gave love and support like they were his own kids

The relationship lasted a while but then things changed again

'Cause he met his current wife Debbie at the Holiday Inn

The 2 of them got married in 1981

And to this very day she calls me her son

My Dad was a good man who liked to be funny

He loved telling jokes and was tight with his money

He loved trains and boats and girls with big boobs

And he even loved tinkering with old TV tubes

He enjoyed the outdoors, especially Houghton Lake

Or just sitting on the porch with food, for his favorite squirrel to take

Then there's our scooter that we drove around town

With my arms around his waist and toes three feet from the ground

In the early 90's he retired from the trains, and went on his way

Dad & Debbie went to stay warm in Florida, and that where they stayed

He lived there more than 10 years before he got sick

It finally caught up to him, those damn cancer sticks

I called to talk to him and instead got a lady

Who said she was his nurse and that he needed his baby

When I saw him in bed not able to talk

My knees got so weak that I could barely walk

But Dad had me there so he fought the greater powers

And the Lord gave in, I got him for 10 hours

During this time we communicated about things, most of it personal

And with a squeeze of his hand I knew his love was unconditional

We interacted good with nods & eye blinks

I got a last chance to see what he thinks

I used up 10 hours, 5 that day & 5 the next

I could have had more but we needed our rest

You'll be happy to know that I felt in the end

Dad knew I wasn't only his son, but also his best friend

Now he's got a horse with wings at great length

And I hope they're Titanium, just like his strength

Well I know he's real happy that his funeral's nice

Cause he's watching all of us from eternal paradise

May his soul rest in peace and when I look in the sky

I'll see that same twinkle that I saw in his eye Y

...Don Miller