A Poem for my Daughter

I was thinking about Christmas
And things we used to do
We we're quite the team in those days,
Those days of me, and you,

I'd carry you on my shoulders
And swing you all around
I would pretend that I would drop you
But I never let you down.

Remember our trips to the city
Man we owned the place
The buildings, people, activity
Reflected in the smile on your face.

Fancy lunch at the Hilton
You used to hide in the clothing racks
We walked all day from store to store
The library, Dayton's, Saks

Growth is never even
It happens in stops and starts
It sometime makes life difficult
It tugs on people's hearts.

It seems like it was just a moment
Those times a decade and a half ago
The winds of change have changed us all
In ways we couldn't know

But some things never change
Will never stop or slow
Things as solid as a rock
Will never ebb or flow

It's something you can depend on
That is void less through and through
It's that never a day goes by
That I don't think of you

I'll be your dad forever
It's in the stars, it's in the moon
In the depths of the universe
In every melody, song, or tune

Unlike a face or an age
It is something you can not change
It cannot be revised
It cannot be rearranged

This doesn't mean I can't slip up
It doesn't mean I am pure
But it does indeed mean one thing
Of that you can be sure

My life is empty without you
I am not whole I'm incomplete
There is always something missing
Like a drum without a beat

I know you have things going on
I know you don't have the time
It seems your schedule doesn't always
Seem to fit with mine

But schedules and responsibilities
Can't get in the way
Of the rain when it's falling
Or the sunset at the end of the day

Like that my love is unending
It's always there for you
Use it when you need it
When acts of love are few

I'll be here when you call
I'll be here when you don't
I'll love you when you answer my calls
I'll love you when you won't

You have done such wonderful things
You never seem to falter
But please don't ever forget
I'm you Dad and you're my Daughter