From My Dad

From you, Dad,
I learned to fight!
You passed it down to me—
how to hide myself in this fragile frame,
never kneel, never break.

I learned to laugh from you
even when the pain makes the world spin.
Life, you said, is simply living,
swallowing your tears whole.

You taught me to make a fist,
to clench my teeth and stand firm
in what matters, in who I am.
Never betray those you love.
And I did it! I learned it all, willingly.

They call me the 'tough girl'.
Nobody sees, when I'm alone,
how this exhausted body gives way.
I wish to be more woman,
and wish for someone to cover my back.

You taught me to forge a path,
to walk where no path exists, to make the way...
Good things you showed me how to fight for!
Like you, Dad, I love today
with a relentless hand—no mercy, no need for it.
I learned to look like you!