Who Cares Now?

Seventeen years ago
You cared.
You held me,
Smiled.
Sixteen years ago
You cared.
You stayed with me.
Fifteen years ago
You cared.
You made me promises
I can't remember.
Broken, now
I remember.
Fourteen years ago
You were here,
One day
The next, gone.
Down the road,
On to the next one.
Thirteen years ago
I was too young,
Too naive,
Too foolish to care
Why daddy wasn't here anymore.
Twelve years ago
There was a dance
Meant for dads and daughters,
Two peas in a pod.
My shell,
Half empty.
Eleven years ago
I pretended.
I fooled everyone.
What did I care?
Ten years ago
I wondered.
How do you go four years,
Without a peep to your own seed?
Your own flesh and blood?
Who cares now?
Nine years ago
Just another year.
Just another question I couldn't answer.
Eight years ago
Just another missing piece to the puzzle.
My puzzle.
Seven years ago
New house, new home, a man to call 'dad.'
And he's incredible.
We play catch,
Video games,
He went on my field trips
And caught me when I fell.
Not you.
Six years ago
I gave up.
You're fog,
Mist in the distance.
Keep it that way.
Five years ago
You resurfaced.
It's been nine years!
Go back into hiding!
Stay a mystery.
Four years ago
I needed you.
You were an old picture.
A tape for the VCR
We no longer own.
Three years ago
I was fine.
I'm fine.
Two years ago
-
I'm okay now.
I learned not to dwell on the past.
Last year
I met a boy.
You'd like him,
If you were around.
Now,
I love him.
And he's the second man
I never want to leave me.
He cares.

It's hard, though,
Since because of you,
I trained myself not to.