To All Fathers

to all fathers

whether you are biological or otherwise
whether you are married or otherwise
as long as you know
the meaning and responsibility of fatherhood
celebrate this occasion

the only person/persons you have to prove yourself to
is your little one or your little ones
at the end of the day
there are the ones who really know
whether you are a real daddy or not

those of us who are parents
marvel anew at our parents
how they did it, when there were so many of us
and here we are with only one or two to fret and swoon over

fatherhood is a lifelong education
and it prepares you to be a cook, a nurse,a story teller
a tour guide, a teacher, a coach a best friend, a mirror

to earn your child's respect, his love, her trust
is one of the greatest honours of fatherhood

we live at a time when fatherhood is complex
and can mean loving passionately from a distance
when a collective roof over both parents no longer becomes viable
those of us who walk that path
know from experience
that a father is more than the guy who takes the little kiddo(s) to the movies every other week
fatherhood, a lifelong process
is one of life's greatest rewards

i remember my father and my grandfather
my brother and my uncles
my cousins and my comrades
and all those men
who have embraced fatherhood as an integral component of their very being and essence....

happy fathers day to ALL fathers here
WITHOUT EXCEPTION


onyango oloo
montreal