Father's Day Lament

You were indestructible I thought
A wild blonde powerhouse
Who would have fought the world
For your pride and family

You let me drive that old blue van
Down Cranford Gated Road
Till the speedo clocked to zero
To my never-ending delight

You hid behind a tree
To see my first-team debut and
Drove 300 miles in the black night rain
With a borrowed spare car part

We lurched from a Greek tavern
Our bellies full of Retsina
Haggled for that suede jacket
Over the border in Tijuana, Mexico

You sat in your vest and pants
Drinking Colt 45 in cans
Till God Save the Queen and
The TV’s hiss bid you goodnight

I still see that fence where the dogs
Wrestled with the giant stick
And I still smile at the photograph
Of you and your hairy mates in drag

Your omelettes are still the fluffiest
The chunky chips unsurpassed
I laugh at all the dodgy Ronco gadgets
And still love Mario Lanza; red wine too

You posed with unbridled joy
For the autumn graduation shot
If only I'd have known, that
In seven months you’d be gone

You urged me once, "be happy"
In one of many late night chats
And I'm really sorry Dad that
I shunned your sage advice

I wish I had an hour, that’s all
To say everything unsaid
And though you didn't do emotion
We'd hug and I'd say "I love you Dad".