Why do I call him father?
He doesn’t act like one.
A father doesn’t scream at you,
A father doesn’t make you feel useless,
A father doesn’t kick you out of your house at night.
He does those things.

Why do I call him dad?
He doesn’t act like one.
A dad supports your decisions,
A dad understands if you make a mistake,
A dad wants you to be happy no matter what.
He doesn’t do those things.

Why do I call him daddy?
He doesn’t act like one.
A daddy doesn’t make you slave around the house,
A daddy doesn’t leave when things get rough,
A daddy doesn’t make you support yourself at age fifteen.
He does those things.

Why do I call him father?
He doesn’t act like one.
Yet I still long for his praise,
I still depend on his presence,
I still hope for his love.
I do those things.