Eighteen Years

by Kira Rodriguez

You looked down at me with such gentle eyes,

Your big, brown eyes filled with such love,

As you rested on your grandmother’s couch,

A place holding so many memories.

It was my first and most cherished moment.

Even though I don’t remember the details,

I remember the love of your gentle embrace

As you held me close, our heartbeats in sync.

I, so small, and your hands, so large.

Your tattoos and earrings, a symbol of the past,

The boy you used to be and the man you became,

A man I love and a man I am proud to call Dad.

Years have passed and nothing has changed.

My heart is strong and full of love because of you.

Eighteen years of selfless acts of love

And warm embraces no different than the first.

I’m still your baby girl, your princess forever and always,

And you will always be my knight in shining armor.