Dear Dad

Sailing through troubled waters, high tide
Much younger than the man you had to be
Not ever knowing, if the sunrise
Might be the last you'd ever see

You can't remember what you call home
You keep it somewhere, deep in your heart
Trying so hard, not to start thinking
Cos that's when the nightmares really start

Can't stand the ringing, in my ears sir
Can't stand that you might see my fear
And there are times I have to ask myself
What the hell am I doing here

The sorrow that comes from knowing
That you and your first-born will never hear
The words that I wish, I'd said, many years ago
The words that are making my tears flow

And I hope that history will remember
The debt that is owed to you and your kind
And for however long I have left in this world
You and my brother will never be far from my mind

And though Walker may have taken the glory
History was made by a much bigger story
You were never afforded the dignity
That your courage and sacrifice truly deserved

And I wish that I'd had the humility
To take all the time that was needed to learn
That no man can ever be only defined
By the best or the worst that he has done in his life

You were one of life's unsung heroes
And although I'm too late now to sing you this song
I want everyone that I hold dear to know
That I'm so proud of you and I wish you could know
That your last living son makes your memory live on
And I miss you with all of my heart
For all the years, we've been apart
I wish that I had told you, from the start