Dedicated to my grandpaw, who was a father and best friend to me. I started this poem seventeen years ago, and set it aside to be forgotten. Today I found it and - typing through teary eyes - tried to finish it. I wish my words could do justice to the wonderful man that he was.

This poem originally was published in Poems on Life - Family Poems

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Grandpaw
by Dan McDonald
Wasting away on a hospital bed,
a shadow of the man you once were,
yet all that you ever were.
A warm, caring, special person
who always made time for me.
Peace radiates from your broken shell;
your smile warms my broken heart.
Although you can’t speak,
I read you message loud and clear:
a finger to your eye,
a finger to your heart,
a finger to me.
I love you too old man, I cry,
my body shaking with emotion,
my voice quivering
as the tears fall like rain.
What am I gonna do without my hero?
Who is gonna spank my butt?
Who is gonna be my rock?
You are much too good for this world.
The Lord is calling you to him.
Godspeed!
***

Seventeen years since you passed away.
When does the hurting stop?
I feel you with me sometimes,
a peaceful presence keeping me safe,
nudging me to make the right decisions,
comforting me on those dark days.
I see your face in the mirror;
I look more like you every passing day.
You live on through me.
I only hope that one day
I will be half the man you were.
I hope, when you look down
you are proud of the boy
who loved you so much,
and who loves you
still.
© 1999 Dan McDonald Please respect the rights of the author and Passions in Poetry. If you would like to use this poem on your own web page, please contact the Author. Thank you.
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35 Visitor Comments (from the Voting form)
  • aaron
    Your poem was real touching it was a beauty
  • karine
    I loved your poem my greatgrandfather passed away in 2003,i miss him dearly I was 5 and a half when i left my country and saw him last. now im 12 I know how hard it is. I remeber countless time i spent with me to this day. my other two grandpaws are alive and like yours they love me to this day
  • Jessica
    i like this every much. made me cry. im still cring as i write to u. i lost my grandpa too. thats how i started to write poems. ! thank you. thats all i have to say
  • Denzel
    oh my god this is so moving my grandpaw was the sames way you described yours. I feel like you said what i couldn't say 4 months ago today when that doctor told me and my grandmother he went on to a better place. all my grandpaw wanted to see was his first great-grand child and he could die a happy man. but i couldn't give that to him because im only 16 but i thank you for this poem evem if it wasn't for me thank you any way
  • Nykki
    That poem touched me in a place I haven't been in a long time. My grandpa passes 6yrs ago and i wished i could move on with my life. with a him in my heart and now i can, thanks to your poem. It made me cry. Thanks thats the first time I've cried since he died.
  • jas
    i felt the same way too.
  • Meg
    This poem brought tears to my eyes- it was extremely moving. Thank you!
  • jessica
    WOW. that is a wonderful poem. My grandfather is my hero to it touched me in a very Profound way! I do not know what I shall do when he leaves this. you are a strong person
  • Stephanie
    i loved this poem. It shocked me how mcuh it resembled the experience I had with my Opa. My Opa was very sick, it it was so sad to see such an amazing man waste way into nothing. This poem truly brought tears to my eyes.
  • Jerry
    Man. thats deep. im not but 14. and that stuff gets to me. i got a grandpa. hes the coolest person ever, and if you lost yours. i hope god is with you even now. its hard, i wouldnt be able to take it if my grandpa died, everyone says i favor him. every day i look more and more like him the way i act what i look like my voice everything. and it just really hurts to know that someone had to lose a man that was so close to them. i know what its like to have someone that special
  • martha
    yes i loved your pomes i wish i hade it and me to do all the thing you do
  • Patrick
    Well currently i am in a situation with my grandpa bed ridden and stuck at home in a hospital bed stuck on a ventalator and a stomach thing and iv and the works with my grandma taking care of him. So i feel your pain its hard when hes alive seeing him like that its almost like hes not there already but this poem touched me and brought tears to my eyes, your poem was very awesome :)
  • stef
    this poem makes me feel hurt the way i felt when my grandpaw passt on, it expresses how i feel
  • Jessica
    Thank you so much for sharing this poem. My grandpa is on his deathbed after suffering a massive aneurysm, and the emotions expressed here are the same ones I am feeling. Thank God for the blessing of grandfathers and for the memories that we will always cherish.
  • Glenna
    I just wanted to say that your poems are beautiful and touch my life in so many ways. The Grandpaw poem I really like.
  • Jeniece
    Thank you so much for writing this poem because it has helped me get though some of the rough feelings i feel now that i have realized he's not coming back,4 years later. thanks,and great job!
  • Elizabeth
    This is such a warm, loving poem. It brought me to tears and has touched me in a special way. You were very fortunate to have had such a wonderful "Grandpaw. " God bless you.
  • jewell
    this poem reminds me of my dad and my boys. we lost him 12 yrs. ago but he is still a part of their lives because they loved him so very much. it really brought tears to my eyes.
  • Kim
    I just lost my grandpa 2 weeks ago and we were very close. Your poem touched me very deeply. Thank You for sharing it with us.
  • karen
    This is a beautiful poem. i just lost my grandfather this past week. life is so hard to understand. But i just hold on to the promise that Gods says we will see him again.
  • C
    perfect. P-E-R-F-E-C-T! This is exactly how I feel about my grandpaw. Mine has only been gone for 3 years and I know I have a long road ahead. I am sorry for your loss. May God ease your pain and Bless you for what you have given to others. Thank You so much for sharing this with others.
  • Hanna
    I love this poem I am only 14 but my PaPa died when I was 5 and I never really spent time with him and now I regret that but I love this poem it brought me to tears. Thanx
  • angel
    i love this poem
  • Jasmine
    THIS POEM WAS BEATIFULL MY GRANDPAW DIED TOO AND THE HURT IS STILL WITH ME AND U CANT STOP THINKIN' ABOUT HOW MUCH HE MEANT TO U I KNOW BUT JUST REMEMBER THAT HE LOVES U AND WILL ALWAYS LOVE U TAKE CARE AND WRITE SOME MORE POEMS KEEP YOUR HEAD UP (THIS CAME FROM A 12 YEAR OLD GURL).
  • sweet
    i lost my papa 2 yrs ago and i never got to say good bye becausei was living too far away to even got to his funeral . you finaly made me say good bye with this poem it hard but it never stops the pain but we remember him for who he is and will always be. thank you. xx
  • Bill
    Beautiful.
  • Julia
    This was a very good poem. I feel the same way about n=my grandfather, but he has only been gone for 10 and a half years
  • Carol
    Dan, What a loving tribute to your Grandpa. You words to him in your poem, were achingly sad and truely from the heart.
  • serena
    anyone have any extra tissues?? this is the sweetest tribute any grandpaw could ever have. I never really knew my own fathers dad and I never will but if he were still alive I'd dedicate this poem to him.
  • christy
    I luved it, it was anazing and brought a lump to my throat before the tears.. I never thought that anyone loved there grandpaw as much as me till now,, and i feel the pain,, actually the best i have read,, God Bless
  • Margarida
    I loved this poem and it was the most saddest poem I have read it actually made me cry and i never cry.
  • sherry
    What a beautiful emotional poem. I cried while reading this.
  • Dawna
    Made me cry, reminded me so much of my own grandpaw, grandmaw & Father all rolled up into one poem.
  • debra
    I loved the poem, it made me cry. I loved my grandfather sooooo much.I can relate totally to this poem and share the same sentiments with the writer. To all of those who have loved and lost their hero, they do live on within us.
  • katie
    I cried when I read this poem It reminded me of my great gramps. I love this poem. It was full of heart.
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