MY Daughter (A Poem)

The first time he heard about you
he denied it could be true.
You couldn't possibly be his baby #2.
He thought you were someone else's ...
     told me that we're through.

When you were born he began to realize  
that what I said wasn't a pack of lies.   
After a full day of labour ... one final push ... .SURPRISE!
Looking at you it was obvious. 
     You had his eyes.

He couldn't get between mother and son
So at you he decided  to take a big run.
Right through the front door as if for fun
If the courts wouldn't give him two  ...
     maybe the judge would grant him one.

Upon filing for support and visitation
the court ordered first step was mediation.
Your father claimed I was the one with the addiction.
The mediator sided with him
     in her final decision.

Meanwhile, late every second Friday night
I would pack your bags without turning on a light.
Hiding them up in the closet way out of sight 
So that you wouldn't know he was a no-show
     and we wouldn't fight.

He lost any opportunity in a fit of rage.
One profound enough he ended up in a cage.
His mom was disappointed that he didn't act his age.
She would have testified against him
     if it got to that stage.
 
My lawyer was prepared to set another date.
His lawyer decided that it was already too late.
That one final punch had sealed his fate
The risk of one of the children getting hurt 
     was far too great.

The final decision was in my favour
But it wasn't something that I could savour
It had a somewhat bitter flavour 
"Daddy's Little Girl" without her saviour
     had to be a hell of a lot braver.   


​by Cheryl Duggan
January 31rst, 2016