Daddy

Daddy

I call you Dad now -

somehow it started during that time

between high school and divorce -

or Papa -

that one’s not so easy

it belongs to my Papa

but that’s Russ’s name and

it slips out now and then -

Daddy, are you leaving again?

My childhood is divided into

the years you were here

and the ones you weren’t

Iran. Korea. ‘Nam. ‘Nam.

- nearly again, ‘Nam -

you always came home

even then I knew you might never

but you did -

red-headed Irishman’s luck -

Daddy, do you have it still?