I was only three when you left,

Did I do something wrong?

Or my older sister?

Or my Mum?

I had to grow up without a Dad,

Jealous of other kids,

Learning for myself.

You didn’t even pay Mum,

Scamming the system,

A parasite on society.

And I’m the victim in thrift shop clothes.

No holidays.

No aircon.

Shoes three sizes too big, shorts two sizes too small.

Because of your laziness.

Mum didn’t finish high school,

She would complain about her job.

How hard it is to pour beers.

Only working half the week.

Crying or yelling the other half.

Putting everything on me to be her sanity.

I’m embarrassed to bring friends around.

A small home of uncleanliness.

Now I am grown,

With kids of my own,

Kids I would never leave,

Working a full week and more.

A beautiful home.

Beautiful wife.

Beautiful life.

Shaped by a past I try to avoid.

Still a chip on my shoulder,

But now with a full wallet,

And a full heart.