Thank You Dad
You didn’t talk,
But I still knew.
You led by doing,
And followed through.
You rose at dawn,
You worked till night.
You kept us warm,
You held us tight.
You fixed the fence,
You patched the floor.
You gave us all,
Then gave some more.
You didn’t boast,
You didn’t brag.
You stood your ground,
You waved our flag.
When I messed up,
You didn’t yell.
You let me learn,
And wished me well.
You taught me strength,
And how to stand—
By doing right,
With no demand.
Now I’m grown,
And I can see—
The quiet love
You gave to me.
by Aretha Johnson