beautiful monster

my father is a monster

but he is a beautiful one

he has warm brown eyes

that will remind you of hot chocolate on a winter day

he has long graceful hands

that will play your favorite song on the piano

whenever you are sad

he has a poet’s mouth

that will whisper kind words exactly when you need it

he has a smooth deep voice

that will tell you entrancing stories

of princesses, and castles, and dragons

but i told you, 

that my father is a monster

and monsters come out at night

when the sun waves goodbye and the stars light the sky

my father will look at you with his once warm brown eyes,

and all you will see is cruelty and evil and pain

he will take his hands and paint your pale skin 

with shades of blue, green, and purple

then he will yell at you and remind you of the monsters 

inside your own head, screaming

you are not good enough

you are hard to love

you are an embarrassment to me

and once he decides you are not worth 

straining his beautiful voice for

he will leave you alone, 

with your painted skin, your teary eyes, and your bloody lips

and when the sun greets the sky again, 

he will look at you with his warm brown eyes

he will caress your head with his graceful hands

he will whisper that he’s sorry, so sorry

he will tell you stories from your childhood,

the time you two went to the aquarium together

the time you ate ice cream on a park bench together

and then he will ask you if you can find it in your heart to forgive him

looking into his glistening sad eyes, feeling the gentleness of his palm on your head, hearing his kind words in your ears, 

the answer is obvious

of course you can forgive him

of course you will forgive him

because my father is a monster

but he is a beautiful one.