Our Father

What is a father? Who is our father?
Our Father, capital F, who art in heaven,
Our father, who's watching the game on TV,
Our dad, to go on camping trips with,
Roasting marshmallows at dusk
Our daddy, a strong neck to hold on to
When we are too weak to walk
Our papa, the second face we register
When we are born onto the earth
Our pa, pop, Old Man, tata, head of the house
A man, a person, a being with graces and faults
Pa, a cluster of memories
Of popsicles on the way home from school
When mom wouldn't allow it
Of walks to the park and the playground
Of being taught how to ride a bicycle
Then pa morphed to dad, and then to father
Our Father, distant, almost unaware of his existence
Father, to be prayed to, to be worshipped
A father who is not a dad at all
What is a father? Who is our father?
A man who loves us unconditionally
A man who sets an example for future generations
A man, surrounded by family, in a warm home
A man who is honoured because he deserves it
A man who teaches how to be compassionate
How to be daring, fearless, and kind
A man who is proud of who he is
And of who his children are
A man who takes risks, who would do anything
Anything, anything, to make his house a home
A man who is father, who is daddy, who is pops
All at once, and forever will be
Mortal, a man, a person who loves
His kin more than the Father above