Father’s Daughter

(from In the Shadow of my Pen: A Collection of Poetry and Prose)

Unsplash Image by Rosalind Chang

My father is a tall order to follow. He joined the Merchant Navy when he was sixteen and took part in the Russian Convoys during World War 2 (the Baltic Run).
Every time I feel like giving up, I remember how brave he was.
So I pull up my "big girl pants" and get on with it!

A mist surrounds her, so grey and cold.

She is looking for something to latch onto or hold.

Nearly slipping on the moss underneath her feet, she looks downwards at the sea.

A deep crevasse separates her from its waters.

Is she brave enough to end it all?

To let herself fall and be free?

Then she remembers her dreams.

How her father told her that he was still right beside her, guiding her along the way, so slowly, she retraces her steps back up the cliff, and then she says a silent prayer.

“Father, one day, I will make you so proud of me, I swear”

Copyright © 2023 Maggie Watson
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