Daddy issues

She said the word “Dad,” but it felt so strange, Like calling through halls that never change. An echo lost in empty air A name for someone never there. She learned to beg without a sound, To search for arms that weren’t around. Trust, a puzzle with pieces gone, Edges sharp from holding on. Each “you’re so smart” from someone’s dad Felt like the love she never had. A sweetness she was taught to chase, But never found in his embrace. She learned to mold herself just right Small enough to lose from sight. Shaped by what he wouldn’t say, Easier, then, to throw away. And even now, with time between, She writes of things he’s never seen. Poems built from aching threads Words for him he'll never have read. I love you dad. Even if you don't love me.