Poem: Where's Daddy?

Fathers' Day arrived.

Children on that day gave gifts and played with their fathers.

I watched you as you glanced around.

You saw children playing with their fathers,

And I knew there was one question

That you wanted to know.

That one question would make me burst into tears.

That one question would change your young life forever.

I fought to hold back my tears

As you glanced around.

I knew what you were feeling.

I knew that you felt something was missing,

Something very important.

You turned around

And slowly walked toward me.

You reached your hands out,

Gripped my larger hand,

And looked up at me with young, innocent eyes.

Tears threatened to overflow out of my eyes,

But I fought hard to hold them back.

I heard your young voice

And knew you're going to learn something.

You asked me,

"Mommy, where is Daddy?"

I did not know what to do,

But I had to tell you.

I told you everything

About your father, grandparents, uncles, and aunts.

I told you this,

"Daddy cannot come

Because Daddy is gone."

Your father, grandparents, uncles, and aunts all died.

They all died in China.

They died because they wouldn't give up

Their spiritual beliefs.

Arrested and detained in jail,

Policemen tortured them to death.

Recently, I just received a box,

A box full of ashes,

My husband's ashes,

Your father's ashes.

I knew the policemen beat him to death.

And cremated his lifeless body.

Now I have told you where Daddy is,

It is time for us to travel around the world,

Tell everybody of the injustice in China,

And show the world what happened to Daddy

And what happened to our family.

Don't cry, my daughter.

Be strong

And together we can bring up justice.

Don't cry, my child.

Daddy is still with you.

He stays in your heart

And stands beside you all the time,

So he can be with his only child,

You.

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