Ode to Granpa

I made this poem early in the morning my Grandfather died. Though I kept telling myself that he would pull through and that I should not be so morbid, I suppose God knew better and that in my heart, I knew that he would not make it through the day. I love you Papa.

Sounds of a machine beeping,
Short bursts of a wife weeping.
Children working yet pause for thought,
For a good father a good war fought.
Their children go on with their lives,
Accepting fact that he might die.
But children fear for their father,
Never again to hear his laughter.

Yet through the night he waited.
Through the night he lived.
A beloved son kept watch.
A loved wife waited.
Yet still the man waited.
To hear his children's plea for forgiveness.

Now the harsh words are regretted.
The anger and annoyance in the last years.
But in the end his legacy prevailed.
A man safe and secure in the Lord.

For when the time comes, I pray,
Let me face death with the courage he had,
In living life to the fullest,
He embraced Death with the quiet confidence,
Of a man who has lived a good life,
And who knows that the Lord loves him.

Still he waited for his niece,
Still he waited for his children.
For two days he hung on,
As his children came to tell him.
We love you Granpa,
And we miss you.

But we know in the end,
God loves you even more,
So rest assured, and claim thy rewards,
For a better and caring man I knew not.

I love you Grandfather,
And I regret some of the things I may have said or done,
But I never regretted knowing you,
And I'm proud that your only legacy was:
Generousity, Kindness, Love, Faith and Grace.
For that's the only legacy we can carry,
In life's race.

In memory of Clarence Pinto, beloved father, husband, grandfather, relative and friend. Called home to the Lord and his Blackjack partner, my aunt Agnes.

We love you.

*Sniff!*