My Father Taught Me

My father taught me 

How to tie my first tie 

Comb my hair neatly 

With a part on the side 

How to button shirts properly 

And dress like a man 

Even fasten cuff links 

Quite a trick with one hand 

He taught me good manners 

From a very young age 

Always hold doors for women 

And make them feel safe 

Be polite and thoughtful 

And help when you can 

And show earnest respect 

To every woman and man 

To value knowledge 

And pursue it aggressively

To appreciate reason 

And apply it effectively 

To share what you know 

And listen when you don’t 

To debate in good faith 

And avoid those who won’t

To read lots of books 

And treasure what’s wise 

To carry a pen 

To keep thoughts organized 

To maintain high standards 

And fully realize 

That hard work can lead 

To the dreams that you prize 

To value the arts 

For the wonders that they are 

Music 

Architecture 

Painting and Sculpture 

Theater 

Dance 

Poetry and Literature 

To appreciate language 

And the power of words 

To communicate clearly 

When you need to be heard 

That to learn a new language 

Means relearning your own 

And opens up paths 

To what more can be known 

To host your guests generously 

Laugh with them heartily 

Speak your mind eloquently 

Listen attentively 

To express appreciation enthusiastically 

And disappointment supportively 

To live life sympathetically  

And love others forgivingly

To understand concepts 

That explain how things work 

To delve into the secrets 

Of our fascinating world 

Mathematics and Physics 

Chemistry and Statistics 

Acoustics and Electronics 

Sociology and Economics

To understand history 

And the lessons it serves 

To appreciate Liberty 

With the respect it deserves 

To follow keen thinkers 

Who keep us informed 

To be mindful of tyranny 

In all of its forms 

To value accomplishment 

And strive for the best 

To write down details 

I can’t keep in my head 

To toil through the night 

‘til the job is done right 

To never cut corners 

On the work that’s required 

To laugh in the best times 

And laugh in the worst 

To laugh at the senseless 

And laugh ‘til it hurts 

Then smile and appreciate 

The blessings of life 

To hug all your children 

And honor your wife 

To keep your commitments 

When the challenge is hard 

To stand for your values 

With all that you are 

To be a good parent 

Who always provides 

To speak the truth freely 

And do what is right 

These are some

Of the many great things 

That my father taught me 

Over the years 

As he set an example 

That meant so much to me 

Of how to live 

And to act 

To think 

And to love 

And to be 

Copyright © 2019 Daniel R. South 

All Rights Reserved