A Kiss for Dad.

Once I was young and he was King,
Strong and kind, he was everything.
He held me in his arms so tight,
He kissed my cheek to say goodnight.
He would hold my hand as we walked,
He would smile so gently as he talked.
Years pass and boys grow to men,
A kiss goodnight fades, then ends.
Talks are less gentle than when I was young,
Now i am referred to as his grown son.
Time still flows and years go by,
Wrinkles come, I don't know why.
Father shrinks as he becomes old,
Distant memories become stories to be told.
He stares sometimes with misty eyes,
He's quick to laugh and quick to cry.
I sit with him on some old stool,
Sipping beer, cracking jokes like a fool.
He listens and laughs just happy to be,
I stop, I look and finally see.
The King he was when I was a lad,
I lean over with a kiss for Dad.