Forgiven

Dear father,

I know it's been a long time

You told us you would call

I guess that was a lie

You said I was useless and annoying whenever I'd speak to you

I grew up believing the sting of your words to be true

You made sure that I never felt wanted

I felt the weight of your words, every time I was taunted

You would abuse me, no matter how many times I'd beg you to stop

I remember, still, when they finally showed up: the cops

You ran away, leaving your children behind

I kept that memory in my mind, playing on rewind

You left us without explanation, without second thoughts, without hesitation

I yearned for you to come home, but I've lowered my expectations

You never came home

I am haunted by that empty feeling of being alone

You scarred all of us with your absence

We struggled for years to find our balance

But I want you to know something in me has changed

I'm no longer angry, no longer filled with rage

You left us, beat us, hurt us, scarred us, it's true

I still want you to know, I forgive you

Sincerely,

Pedro, your forgotten son.