Dad

Dad!
Where are you now?
Where were you when I needed you most?
What happened to Father Christmas
and bedtime stories?
The gentle force that dealt with creepy crawlies?
Where was the guidance?
The curb on teenage defiance?
Where were the rules, expectations
and tools of the trade?
Where was the prophet who tended the garden
and stopped for soft talks in the shade?
Dad!
I'll never make the mistake you made.