crawling up into daddy’s lap when dad was still DADDY nodding my head against his chest soaking in the comfort of his heart LISTENING to the thump…thump somewhere beneath muscle and breastbone I remember his arms their sublime ENCIRCLING and the shawdow of his voice “I love you, little girl. Put away your bad dreams. Daddy’s here” I put them away, Until Daddy became my nightmare that one that came HOME from work everyday and instead of picking me up, chased me far far away
