father (updated)

I had a father, not a dad, a man who merely played his part, The distinction lies in deeds from heart; a dad is earned, not readily found. He was present in flesh, yet his spirit roamed elsewhere, His eyes transient, fixed on distant dreams unseen. My father, unwilling in his role, begrudgingly partook in family affairs, His disdain veiled thinly behind a facade of obligation. Some are blessed with loving dads, while others bear the weight of fathers lost, A spectrum of experiences; some marred by abuse, others yearning for a touch. I longed for a father who embraced his paternal duties, Yet reality revealed I was but a daughter of relinquished dreams. In his eyes, I am a mere acquaintance, a visitor in his familial realm, For his heart beats solely for the son of his bloodline. It's not daddy issues I harbor, but rather my father's unresolved turmoil.