A Gleeful Dim - By: Madelyn Miller

 

A Gleeful Dim:

Bear pawed with peppered hair.

I have only known him that way.
I'm proud to be his last edition.

The youngest of five, maybe I was his missing link.

My god the gratitude I owe him.

Saving me for last.

I would be misshapen without them.

Awkward with unfinished edges.

My older sisters carved grooves in me like drift wood.

Delicately dug, changing the direction I seek to shore.

Sometimes I wonder.

What kind of man could be so courageous?

In his early 20's singing lullabies.

Twirling pigtails, touching nose to nose.

Not many men know the art of Eskimo kisses.

I am in awe of the intersections of your life.

How they toughened your skin.

Their intricate routes lead to counterpoints.

Places people and times of your recognition.

I search for our resemblance.

The pouches under our eyes match.

And though my hands are not paws their shape reflect yours.

Aesthetically I am an image of you.

After abrading the exterior

I find that I am only a fraction of your rays.

A gleeful dim. Proud to at least resemble you.

If you know one thing dad, please know this.

You are reminiscent of light.

Resourceful and luminescent.

You have never left me to flicker.

Like a blaze at times, I never fear walking towards you.

Remember this dad.

I am one of your many wicks.

Your kindle wood.

Your matchstick.

I will not shy from the opportunity to spread your light.

My chin points to the sky.

Your love for me is blinding at times.

Squinting to form shapes and figures.

Bear paws and peppered hair.

Your missing link and your youngest daughter: humbled.