Write About an Old Family Photograph of Your Father

Daddy's Dreamcatcher

When you held my hand,

it was more than a father

and a son.

I saw the world

through the dark glasses

you gave me.

I was your dream catcher

the child who played

while you stole potatoes

from the push cart

and roasted them with newspaper

in a tin can.

Late at night

you would tell the stories

as I nestled in my warm bed.

I remember best

the story of the shopkeeper

who saw you steal the tiny apple pie

but looked away

because he knew you were starving,

How you saved the pie

and ate it that night

in the dark,

How you thought of the man's

eyes spying you in the mirror

as the sweet filling

dripped down your chin

and the crust flaked

onto your pillow.

There was love in the world

There was grace and mercy.

I knew this well,

huddled snug under the

covers as the radiator hissed

its sweet warm song.

I knew this

because I was the proof.

Barry Lane