Fathers must have faith in what they do,
As long as what they do proceeds from love.
The thousand thousand gifts of self accrue,
Held for years in bonds they know not of.
Even discipline, if not in anger,
Reasonable, not stubborn, patient, wise,
'Mid rebellions resolute for order,
Succeeds at last in children's later lives.
Deeds are bricks with which one builds a home,
A dwelling of the heart, though kids may roam,
Yielding more love than one might surmise.
Copyright by Nicholas Gordon. Free for personal or non-commercial use.