THE DAD I NEVER KNEW

Who was he then, my Dad?
An engineer called Smith is all I knew.
An accountant or a violinist? Never!
But an engineer rings true.

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I imagine...
I would have played in his workshop
and sitting on a high stool
asked him endless questions.
He would have answered patiently
explaining how things worked
guiding my hands
and teaching me the use of tools.
We'd have gone for walks together in the countryside,
and he'd have talked about his childhood, his Mum and Dad.

We'd have liked the same music I expect
and both adored my Mum.
He was nice with women
companionable with men
liked beer and billiards.
A kind man, but expected gratitude.
He was proud of his Ford motor
and buying his own house
(littered with gadgets still to mend).

He was a bit sorry that I was a girl
but encouraged me in everything I did
And was proud of me, too.