The Greatest Man I Ever Knew

The greatest man I ever knew had grey hair and big cheeks that held his cheshire grin.

And at the age of 5, he was the first person I thought of when I was asked what home smelt like. 

I remember him always watching the birds, 

his binoculars held up to his eyes, his bird book on his knee.

He would tell me about all the different kinds as I looked I up at him with wonder. 

I remember him teaching me to make the dove sound, 

and as the years have passed, even that memory has faded.

But I can still hear the sound of his voice,

especially when I remember him reading to me as I sat on his lap. 

Each and every time I watch the sun dip behind the mountains, 

I think of you

how we used to take walks around the neighborhood,

when we used to make Christmas cookies every year,

and how you were the first man I ever looked up too. 

I'll never be able to thank you for all the memories

or the amount of love you gave me.

But I know that you know,

Especially on days where a dove flies past my window. 

I love you endlessly Papa. Thank you for showing me what a man truly is. Thinking of you always. xoxo