Daddy's Poem

This poem touched me so much I had to put on here to share!

Her hair was up in a pony tail, her favorite dress tied
with a bow
Today was Daddy's Day at school, and she
couldn't wait to go.
But her mommy tried to tell her, that she probably
should stay home.
Why the kids might not understand,
if she went to school alone.
But she was not afraid; she knew just what to say.
What to tell her classmates of why he wasn't there today.
But still her mother worried, for her to face this day
alone.
And that was why once again, she tried to keep
her daughter home.
But the little girl went to school eager to tell them all.
About a dad she never sees a dad who never calls.
here were dads along the wall in back, for everyone
to meet.
Children squirming impatiently, anxious in their
seats.
One by one the teacher called a student from the
class to introduce their daddy, as seconds slowly passed.
At last the teacher called her name, every child turned
to stare.
Each of them was searching for a man who
wasn't there.
"Where's her daddy at?" she heard a boy call out.
"She probably doesn't have one," another student dared
to shout.
And from somewhere near the back, she heard a daddy
say, "Looks like another deadbeat dad, too busy to waste
his day." The words did not offend her, as she smiled up at her
Mom, and looked back at her teacher, who told her to
go on. And with her hands behind her back, slowly she
began to speak. And out from the mouth of a child,came words incredibly unique. "My Daddy couldn't be here, because he lives so far away. But I know he wishes he could be, since this is
such a special day. And though you cannot meet him, I wanted you to
know all about my daddy, and how much he loves me so.
He loved to tell me stories he taught me to ride my
bike. He surprised me with pink roses, and taught me
to fly a kite. We used to share fudge sundaes, and ice cream in a
cone. And though you cannot see him, I'm not standing
here alone."
"Cause my daddy's always with me, even though we
are apart I know because he told me, he'll forever be in
my heart."
With that, her little hand reached up, and lay
across her chest. Feeling her own heartbeat, beneath
her favorite dress.
And from somewhere here in the crowd of dads, her
mother stood in tears.
Proudly watching her daughter,
who was wise beyond her years.
For she stood up for
the love of a man not in her life
Doing what was best
for her, doing what was right.
And when she dropped her hand back down, staring
straight into the crowd, she finished with a voice so soft,
but its message clear and loud.
"I love my daddy very much, he's my shining star.
And if he could, he'd be here, but heaven's just too far. You see he was a Marine and died just this past year,when a roadside bomb hit his convoy and taught
Americans to fear. But sometimes when I close my
eyes, it's like he never went away."
And then
she closed her eyes, and saw him there that day.
And to her mother¢s amazement, she witnessed
with surprise, a room full of daddies and children,
all starting to close their eyes.
Who knows what they saw before them, who
knows what they felt inside.
Perhaps for merely a second, they saw him at her side
"I know you're with me Daddy," to the silence
she called out.
And what happened next made believers, of those once filled with doubt. Not one in that room could explain it, for each of their eyes had been closed. But there on the desk
beside her, was a fragrant long-stemmed pink rose.
And a child was blessed, if only for a moment, by the
love of her shining star. And given the gift of believing,
that heaven is never too far.