grandpa

I used to think of you like a super hero
Dark shadow towering over
Calloused hands never still
I think of them offering peanuts
To excited children
Watching you ride
Across the field
Sunrise to sunset
Only on Sundays
Would you rest
During church
And for lunch after
When we would all eat together
You’ve softened over the years
Taken the time to sit and visit
Pass out hugs and love
Enjoy a few more moments before
Rushing off to get something done
Yet you remain a rock and patriarch
Guiding by example
Making us feel safe
Knowing we can always come
Home to that smile
Twinkling eyes
The cap that always sits
Delightfully on top of your head
And the cowboy boots on your feet.
Every bump that came your way
You defeated
Batted away like a gnat in the tractor cab
That buzzed around your head in an annoying fashion
You didn’t have time to be brought down
By cancer or a bad heart or swelling on the brain
You had too much stuff to do
And now we watch
As years of fighting start to take a greater toll on you
And we wonder, who will save you now?
Who will help you through?
It’s something all of us must do.