Father shined his shoes and stretched them with shoe trees

they cold be years old and still look smart and new

that was Saturday night, sitting in the kitchen with his shoe paraphernalia

and a bottle of tetra chloride to clean his ties

later we said he was probably buzzed when he finished

he had his ways and they could be summed up as methodical, routine and consistent

that was my Father

He was His own man, struggling with His own demons and often he was ruled by them

he was smart, courageous, witty, stubborn, self-righteous and committed

the child of an alcoholic Father and two alcoholic brothers rounded out his upbringing

strongly molding him into the man he was and the man he wasn’t

 

shinning my shoes Dad and missing you