A Parent's Tale

Thier smiles, and laughter,
And play,
Never fail to reach me,
And dispell my gloom.
But when they are asleep,
When I have gone to work,
When they are not there,
When they become not real,
But ideas, concepts,
Then they make me despair.
They remind me of all that I have not done,
Of all that I have failed to provide,
Of all that I have failed to become.
They reproach me for leading them down,
The path I chose for myself.
And how can I argue?
Is not a parent’s first duty,
To provide for his child?
And is not a role model,
A necessary provision?
And have I not failed?
But then I come home,
And they wake up,
And for a few hours more,
We are happy.

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