Do you ever wonder if I think of you?

For my father

In my morning
fog steaming the bathroom mirror
I see you.

In my hair, with a collick off to one side;
In my eyes, small behind thick glasses;
In my nose and mouth and teeth -
I so proudly say I've never worn braces.

You are there in the way I stand:
one leg longer than the other, throwing off a hip,
in the width of my shoulders
and the breadth of my hips and thighs
I would have been a good farmers wife, all those years ago -
sturdy.

I have your knack of remembering trivial bits of history
that aren't as important to anyone else as to
you and I.
I love politics and a good debate - If I can win...
which is maybe why we don't debate well together.

I even have your fears and
luckily (dig deep) your courage.

Don't ever wonder if I think about you.
Without you, I would never be me.