About the Poem

This work is dedicated to my father, who loved and nurtured me for the first thirteen years of my life. It is a poem that reveals my feelings towards my father and his intentional and untimely death. I wrote this poem as a sort of letter to him, expressing my sadness, guilt, and anger in his departure, but also thanking him for the wonderful, earlier years when he touched my life.

Turn To Me And Smile

by Alison Rotmark

I remember you from long ago,
Your face reassuring as you kissed away my tears;
Your patient touch as you taught me to golf and how to swing "just so".
You'd slay the monsters in my closet, just to ease my fears...
You were the bravest person I ever thought I knew.
I wanted so much to grow up knowing you;
But I never knew your rope of strength was growing O' so tight...
I never knew your sadness was soon to strangle your fight.
You left me all alone;
You left me sad and scared.
You left me in our life for the dark and the unknown.
There was so much more with me that you could've shared;
You'll never understand how important it is to me
To have had you here and have you see -
Of all I am and all I'm not.
I'm all grown- up... would you be proud of me through all I've fought?
You never worried about my first date,
Or yelled because I came home an hour late.
I'll never see you turn to me and smile,
As you would walk me sadly down the aisle.

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26 Visitor Comments

gail

im also 13 when my dad left me! now im 14 but i cant still accept the fact that his not anywhere! i cried out loud when i read the last part "You never worried about my first date, Or yelled because I came home an hour late. I'll never see you turn to me and smile, As you would walk me sadly down the aisle. "

Emily

This poem is amazing, it touched me. i'm 16 and my father died last year in a motorcycle accident and i dont think i'll ever see it through. thankyou for youre sweet beautiful words.

Lynette

WOW, I lost my mother when I was 16 and everything you have put down from your heart is the way i am feeling to this day. Thank you, you have put words to my feelings.

Sarah

I love this poem sooo much. It relates to me in the sense that I have too lost my dad and never got to experience those things in the poem either

i love your poem, my younger brothers lost their dad (we have different fathers)due to his lifestyle and they are now here alone. I had experenced the most and best of him and his life, as he treated me like his own girl and now he is gone and my little brothers were to young to remeber him. i really read your poem cause i wanted to read about your lonelness. as i failed to take that into consideration everytime i tell the boys about how great their dad was. and their reaction - he should have been here now for us. after reading your poem i can understand them better now. thank you and i wish you luck in the future.

Jamie

i just wanted to let you know how much your poenm really hit home,my father was never really around much when i was young he and my mother divorced while i was at a young age and he was never there,well one day he came back and we had just started seeing each other again and my brothers and i loved it about 1 month later my father passed away from an allergic reaction to a bee sting and this poem really hit me,i feel this exactly way inside ,he died when i was 15,now i am 24 and married less than 4 months ago that was a very very hard part in my life when he couldnt be there to walk me down the isle. i feel your pain . (

Savannah

This poem is very touching and very true. I lost my father when i was about 8 and i miss him terribly i wish he could be here just to be with me. The thought of me getting married and him not being there is so breathetaking. I hate it! This poem brought tears to my eyez and reached out to my heart!

melissa

Now that you've gone through this, I hope you never put your children through it. Having a parent die by their own hands is a sad, selfish thing. I hope you don't go nuts when you have a kid.

alex

i liked it. i had a friend who lost her boyfriend awhile ago and i sent this poem to her

KATHERINE

HI I AM A 16 YEAR OLD GIRL AND I RECENTLY LOST MY FATHER WHO I WAS VERY CLOSE TOO. I WANTED MORE THAN ANYTHING FOR MY DADDY TO GIVE ME AWAY ON MY WEDDING DAY AND MY HEART SHATTERS INTO MILLIONS OF LITTLE PEICES EACH TIME I REALIZE THAT HE CANT. WELL ANYWAYS YOUR POEM MOVED ME AND I WANTED YOU TO KNOW THANK YOU FOR SHARING. FROM A DADDYS GIRL

Aimee

POWERFUL! *tears* Nice work!

Julia

How do we cope when our loved ones leave us in an intentional manner? The rage, along with the sadness is a perscription for complete depression. As a child I remember seeing them wheel my mother out on a stretcher and off to the morge. I was seven. She just gave up, and every day I remind myself to never give up not only myself, but my son, he's seven now too. It's hard, as you are well aware, but life does go on. You can never replace the love of the person you've lost, but you can fill the gap with the love and friendship of others. It can only get easier.

Alicia

I really liked this poem. It brought tears to my eyes. My father died a few weeks before my 5th birthday so I know what it is like not to have a father around. I am about to graduate from high school and it saddens me that he won't be there to see me get my diploma. I wish that he didn't have to go, but I know that he is watching me from heaven.

tracy

This poem truley touched my heart. It awakened all the emotions I had locked up inside *I even cried*! And it made me realise I'm not alone! Keep up the wonderful poetry!

steph

this poem touched my heart, i am a young girl of 14 and i lost my father two years ago. my life has never bben the same since. i admire your courage to write such a peom, you touched me deeply

Kimberley

I thought this poem was heart felt and spectacular to read. It really touched me. A lot can be found in poems and I believe this poem has many a meaning behind it.

Adam

This poem touched me i also lost my father at a young age and i miss him everyday and cant get one moments relief from the gut wrenching pain which lies within me. Great job

Jillian

This poem was really inspiring to me and my friends who lost their father also. I lost my father when I was 1 years old and know that I am 13 the pain grows and goes on and on. I never really knew him. But this is justv a message out to those who still have their fathers. Treasure them like a precious jewel because you never know when you are going to lose them.

sara

this poem is soo touching. reading it brough tears to my eyes at the thought of losing my daddy.

Maigan

This poem was very comforting to me. I lost my dad a couple weeks ago because he committed suicide. I knew he was depressed but I never understood how depressed I wish he couldve talked to me or someone about it before he pulled the trigger I dont think he knew how much he would be missed. This poem really touched me exspecially the part about teaching you how to golf and how he will never be able to walk me down the aisle. I am only 17 and there is so much he is not going to be there for.

amber

This is a nice poem. I too lost my daddy on October 28,2001 It was the sadest day of my life. I was only 15 and I knew I wouldnt get to share all the joy you are suppose to. He wont be able to walk my down and give me away. And I hate knowing that. Sorry for your loss.

Dawne

I know exactly how you feel. I lost my dad when I was 5 yrs. old. He was ONLY 28 yrs. old. He had a massive heartattack. I love and miss him so much it is unreal. I think about him everyday. I'm 29 now, a mother of 2 boys and a wife. But still there is a large void in my life that only my dad can fill. but he's not here. I love you daddy,Still your baby girl

Brin

I know I haven't lost my father, and I can't imagine how it feels. But this poem really makes me appreciate life and what it brings. A father is a primary role in a daughter's life, and I am so thankful and will never again take that for granted. This was very well written, and expresses the deepest emotions.

Patricia

This peom really touched my heart I lost my father Dec.16 1994.15 days before my thirteenth birthday.My saddest moment is going to be on my weddiong day also when he is not there to give me away!

Robin

Thank you for writing such a beatiful poem! My dad died three years ago May 31 2001. i was only nine, and only wanted him to stay until i was 10. i couldn't imagine life without him. but it happened. your peom really hit home with me->my dad did teach me how to swing "just so", he will never see my fisrt date and will never see me get married. :(

Aida

Thank you for writing such a beautiful poem.It has touched my soul.While I read it,I was crying.It's exactly how I feel inside but I'm too scared to let it out.I was just 7 years old when my father was killed.I'm 15 now and the pain seems to grow with me.It hurts me when I hear my friends call their fathers'DAD',because I know I don't have anybody to call "DAD"

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