Dear Daughter

When time and duty call us away, the heart longs for home, hearth, and those we love best. Enough said

Dear Daughter,
Like the wind in the trees, I whisper your name
So softly only the trees can hear me.
Only the stars can match your beauty without shame.
While you chase life’s prizes, I fight across a dark sea.
I fight so that you and your friends may sleep in peace.
I fight as a soldier second and a father first
Because a father’s fierce love will never cease.
I fight so that you may dream of the best, not the worst.
I fight because you are my world, dear daughter.

Dear Daughter, I want to lay this rifle down
And rush home to stand at your side.
But I am teaching other fathers how to protect their town.
And until that work is done I must abide.
We must wait a while longer, dear daughter.
Until then, I send these words across time and tide.
Until then, I watch for your lantern across the restless water.
And in the darkness, I dream of you, my beloved daughter.

Dear Daughter! Can you know how much I want to hold your hand?
The first star hangs in the Middle Eastern sky
And my wish is a prayer I make while alone in the sand:
That God will give you angel’s wings and teach you how to fly.
A father’s dream is to watch his children grow.
He hopes his hand will send the falcon into flight.
Like a farmer, you are the future seed that I sow
And the hope that I nurture day and night.
May yours be a better life then mine, dear daughter.

Now and always, my love is forever.

Author's Note

For every soldier, front line worker, or first responder who has had to balance family and career. Thank you for your service.

Reviews

[KATHY SUE SILLS]

This was beautifully written! A great tribute to all service men and women!

[M. J. Smith]

Thank you for your kind review. It is deeply appreciated.

[KATHY SUE SILLS]

My pleasure!

[Anuja Sharma]

This poem not only reminded me the brave yet tragic life soldiers live but how strong they are to serve their country whilst away from family. Such an amazing poem it is and how beautifully you have described the emotions of a soldier. Truly loved it.
Thanks,
Anu

[M. J. Smith]

Thank you for your kind review. It is deeply appreciated.

[William Michael Reeves]

And thank you for recognizing them with beautiful words! Can't help wonder if this is just an empathetic write or is it autobiographical?

[M. J. Smith]

Only in the loosest terms as a father myself. Written in memory of a fallen friend who's daughter was still an infant when he died. She will never know her Daddy.
:(
Thank you for your words.

[M. J. Smith]

Only in the loosest terms as a father myself. Written in memory of a fallen friend who's daughter was still an infant when he died. She will never know her Daddy.
:(
Thank you for your words.

[M. J. Smith]

Only in the loosest terms as a father myself. Written in memory of a fallen friend who's daughter was still an infant when he died. She will never know her Daddy.
:(
Thank you for your words.

[jennifer little]

great poem nice write great flow keep up the good work

[M. J. Smith]

Thank you for your kind review. It is always deeply appreciated.

[jennifer little]

your welcome i just added a couple more poems if you feel like reading them you can if not its ok

[Chris]

Semper Fi... We as parents do our best. But if we don't succeed despite our best efforts what do we do then?

[M. J. Smith]

Thank you for your service. My battlefield was the streets. My war was for souls. My weapons were prayer, scripture, and that most powerful of all weapons, compassion. I was a Christian soldier. But time, age, and other factors... Well, I'm not the wild young adult I was. I saw too many that I couldn't help. One of those was the soldier who inspired this poem. He died in a senseless accident in Kuwait. His daughter never knew him.

[Rusteangi Ruba]

Love and respect for the father who kept the love in his heart and fought for the country.
Daughter will be so proud of a father and a solider .
The words describe how much a father miss his child even though his duty is to serve the country.

[M. J. Smith]

The backstory: A friend went to serve in Operation: Desert Storm. He left behind a pregnant wife. She gave birth while he was away. Just two months later, he died in a bombing. This is my tribute to him. Thank you for taking the time to read. It is deeply appreciated.

[Rusteangi Ruba]

You had beautifully written that 👍

[Chris Shaw]

I felt the fatherly love here, because I was lucky enough to have experienced that bond myself. Thirty one years gone, and he is still missed. A beautiful, touching write. A pleasure to read this poem MJS. Thank you.

Chris

[M. J. Smith]

I just wish the young lady for whom this was written could have known her dad. He fell in Operation: Desert Storm. She was only an infant. Today, I have no idea where she is. Your review is most welcome.

[Rusteangi Ruba]

I do agree with her statement.
The daughter will be so proud of a father like him.

[Kim S.]

heartwarming & heartfelt write here, really liked this

[M. J. Smith]

Thank you, Beckie. Your review is deeply appreciated.

[Kim S.]

no problem

[Patricia Wedel]

I watch for your Lantern across the restless water…. A very touching message carried by a Peaceful Dove from a Father’s Love 💕 and Devotion… Amen… Pat

[M. J. Smith]

Written for a friend's daughter. My friend fell in Operation: Desert Storm. She was still an infant. This was my tribute to them. Thank you for your kind review. It is deeply appreciated.

[Patricia Wedel]

dearest M.J. so precious… how is his daughter doing now… she will be in our prayers… my heart 💜 is with her happiness. Your friend’s service will bring the best to our country and our World. This is our Prayer. Amen… Pat

[M. J. Smith]

Wish I knew. Mom and daughter moved away while I was in the hospital after a heart attack. Still, prayers never hurt anybody. Thank you for your kindness.

[Patricia Wedel]

dearest M.J.... the most endearing Poem ever... about a Fathers Love... especially the Times that challenge Hearts everywhere. We are living in perilous times and our young people are very Brave... and the Soldiers risk their Lives to Mend a Broken Dream. gently, Pat

[Tate Morgan]

Still in the dentist chair decided to give this a try. Don’t we all learn more from a child’s love than they learn from us? I remember the first day when my son was born and I realized it’s the first time I love someone else more than myself. In the end we leave words for them in the future

[M. J. Smith]

I actually wrote this as a tribute to a young lady of my acquaintance and her father who died while she was still an infant. Last year, I flipped the script and gave a copy to my daughter as a Father's Day gift. I then had to have a discussion about a soldier's life. I hope she understands what I wanted to convey. Thank you for your kind review. It is deeply appreciated.

[Tate Morgan]

We’re you a soldier? I get the feeling you weren’t ?

[M. J. Smith]

More of a spiritual soldier. My front line was the street. My weapons were prayer and compassion. But time became scarce when I got married. So, I passed the torch. Ministry can be a battle. Addiction, mental illness, all manner of crises can require an ordained minister. And, the work comes with its own hazards. Some folks react badly when approached. Some comrades fall to the very things they hope to change.
"I no longer try to change the world, dragon. I just try to get by in it." - Sir Bowen, Dragonheart.
I am a father, yourself. And this was for a daughter who's Dad fell in Operation: Desert Storm when she was still an infant. Sorry for any confusion.