I know you erased her
From your life
Many years ago now
And you wish me
To do the same
When we interact
In that shallow angry way
That was once a beautiful relationship
Between father and daughter

Though I would do it
For you if I could
-And I have tried-
I cannot separate the memories
That are mine
Delete my feelings
As if they don’t exist
Just to stroke your ego

To do so would find me
Ashamed of who I am
What I am
And all the decisions
I’ve ever made
Since they were based
On what I learned
Or didn’t learn
From my parents

Mom is as much
A part of me
As you
Good
Bad
Ugly
Beautiful
All of it

Oftentimes
It is only the small ember of love
A child has for her father
That gets her through
The harsh words she knows
Will be coming

Telling her
How selfish she is
Blaming her for
Problems that exist
And how she should
Be better than she is

All I am is me
And as you continue
Your journey without me
A reckoning of your own making
I will go about mine
Loving the half of me
That is you and the half of me
That is her
And hope peace finds us
In the end