As dawn appears,
A soft alarm sounds.
A father rises,
Another day of toil looms.
In another room his children sleep.
Beside him his wife
Exhausted from mothering
Sleeps on.
He knows she will rise at the first call
The youngest awakening,
Calling for her, wanting to be fed.
On the kitchen table
The sad reminders of the previous night
The welter of bills
Stacked in piles of priority.
This week he can keep the power on
Next week maybe there will be enough
To treat them a take away.
He dresses in the half-light
His ragged overalls must do another year
His boots are new work safety is strict
They cost a week’s rent
But he must work, the landlord understands
The two men often sit and share the landlord’s beer
They connect as men do.
He selects the crusts from yesterday’s bread
Spreads a thin layer of butter
Cuts a slice of cheese in half
Enough to get him through the day.
He visits his children, watches as they begin to stir
They are beautiful children
He is proud of them.
He turns to go, the eldest sees her dad
Watches as he wipes a tear from his eye
Knows he will trudge off to work
Return late tonight
As he has another job in the evening
She wonders how long he can do that
She needs her dad.
They don’t have much she knows
But they have each other.
Written for: http://dversepoets.com/2014/12/02/poetics-winners-and-losers/
Morpethroad 
Such a brave and courageous family man ~ At least he has work and can support his family ~ Having each other in the trying times can be a source of comfort ~ Have a good week M ~
Thank you Grace, you have a good one too.
“They don’t have much she knows
But they have each other.”
This man (this family) is a winner, I think. Despite all that they lack, what they have is important.
I see him as a winner in that not having much but doing his best in his own eyes and that of his family makes him a winner.Thanks Mary, good prompt this week.
that is all it takes…i have great respect for guys that make the sacrifices for their fam…and the ladies that do as well…its not much, but in the end…all it takes is loving each other in the midst of it…great story man
Thanks brian, appreciate you stopping by.
I admire those who work two jobs. I do not think I could do that and hope I never have to. You made us feel these people were real.
Thanks Gabriella, even though this family is not mine I did want to give them an air of truth.
As long as they have each other and struggle through tough times, love is always the feeling of energy and togetherness.
Excellent piece my friend. 🙂
Thank you so much Charlie, glad you enjoyed it.
So much at times is upon the parents, their heavy load to carry. The wife with carrying and raising the children. The husband being the bread winner, doing the best he can. As long as there is love in the house, they get by. Tough times though, written well my friend.
Thank you so much Jenny, what you say is very true.
Perfect, tommy, perhaps my favorite. We just watched “A Christmas Carol” last night. You capture the bittersweet love of family in much fewer words than Dickens. A compliment to you ❤
Thank you Angie, please call me Michael.
Thank you, Michael! Goodness, when I see summerstommy…I panic and write, tommy! I’ve got it now, Michael 😀 Curious, does the name summerstommy have a story behind it?
Yes Angie summerstommy does have a story. But maybe best told in another forum.
Fair enough! Have a great rest of the week, Michael ❤
not having much, but seeing the father do his damn best to make sure his family has the necessities is winning… and loving… smiles
Thank you Anthony, I think so too.
All we can do is our best at the time…we need not punish ourselves if we don’t succeed at everything..what is important, as you say, is the purity of good intent.
Thank you Kathy I appreciate your visit and comment.
So many ways to be a winner.. I hope he manage to carry that burden. To not get sick, to just pull through. That’s winning.
Yes indeed Bjorn. I agree that’s for the visit.
The true winners in life to me.. are the ones like this who struggle enough
to never live..
without love…:)
Yes I agree, thanks for dropping by.
That was just beautiful, Michael. If only all struggling families could have so much love for each other and contentment.
I agree Lyn thanks so much for reading and your comment.
You describe in very concrete, simple language a harsh life but a strong family bond there. Sadly, in so many poverty-stricken families, the stress of daily life takes its toll and breaks up the family as well. Sometimes hard times bring us closer together and sometimes they tear us apart.
Thanks Marina, I appreciate your comment and thoughts on my poem.
It is forever a struggle! Having a family makes decision-making slightly restrictive as not too much risks should be taken. And at least the family is intact! Great write Michael!
Hank
Thanks Hank happy to see you visit.
Love is a powerful motivator. Life is often unfair and some never beat the odds, but this poem makes me believe the Father does.
Thanks so much Margaret, I appreciate you dropping by.
I do not know whether it’s just me or if perhaps everybody else experiencing issues
with your blog. It appears as though some
of the text within your content are running off the
screen. Can someone else please comment and let me know if this is happening
to them too? This could be a issue with my
web browser because I’ve had this happen before.
Thank you
I am sorry you have had issues reading my blog. No one has mentioned that before.
The problem may be at your end?
Have a good day.