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As I gaze around the stands,
All I can think about is one wonderful man.
A man that if he had his way,
Would be sitting in those stands today.
The times we shared were precious but few,
And his tragic death was hard to get through.
I wish I could see the expression on his face,
As they hand me my diploma with style and grace.
I know that he is proud and full of love,
Even though he has to look from above.
His description is hard because it’s been so long,
Now ten years have past and I’ve learned to move on.
I can remember him as short and stock with a bearded face,
Oh, how I can still feel his warm embrace.
His hard work showed through his callused hands,
And I knew better than to disobey his commands.
Hunting and fishing were his favorite sports,
Big game, small game and fish of all sorts.
My Dad’s name was Lamar but his friends called him Marty,
And for an older man he sure knew how to party.
And that is how is life was taken,
For his driving judgments he had mistaken.
My life without him has now become clearer,
Because I see him in me every time I look in the mirror.
I love my Father from the top of his head to the tips of his toes,
And it kills me to think of how quickly his life came to a close.
Three days before Christmas was this tragic event,
That Christmas back in ’89 just came and went.
My brother, of course, blamed himself for not being there,
While my Mom just sat and cried in his favorite chair.
I was only nine at the time of his death,
And only believed he needed some rest.
His life turned to memories in one second flat,
And drinking and driving was the cause of that.
After this day, you will have many things you will want to strive
And to do it the right way is to NOT DRINK AND DRIVE!
© Brandi A. Sweatman, 1998. All rights reserved.
Written in Brandi’s senior year in high school, the above poem is about her father who was both the impaired driver and the only victim of the crash. Brandi says, “It is very much real even though ten years ago it all seemed like a big nightmare, and even today I still cannot believe my Dad isn’t here to guide me through life. I have graduated, gotten married, and built a house. And it kills me to think about him not being able to be here to share my happiness with me.”
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