Release

My Father

My father falls asleep

in front of the TV

watching The Simpsons as he does every day

and he falls asleep

under a blue blanket

left by a daughter he lost

to the world

the big, bad world

the world that takes away innocence

and leaves a person guilty

of every crime they've ever committed

so as I see my father falling asleep

I wonder of what he dreams

what goes on within his mind

as he dozes off again

reclined on the couch

with a straight line on his mouth

because he's a tired man

with rough, working hands

because he's strived and struggled

all of his life

to make a name for himself

to provide for his family

to do something great in this life

and he's achieved all of that

and I can only hope that one day

I'll be like him

sleeping on the couch while watching TV

maybe one day, that'll be me

because I'll have achieved something great like him

and maybe one day, my own daughter will see me sleeping

under my sister's old blanket

and she won't disturb me

because she knows how much it means

to me.