My daughter once fell,

Fell from a slide ten feet high.

I was standing below,

Standing below watching,

To catch her if she fell.

Turned my head for a moment.

She came crashing down,

Chin bouncing on the rungs of the ladder,

Head bouncing on the rubber mat below.

I was standing below, watching,

There to catch her if she fell.

When I scooped her up,

She looked up at me,

Crying softly, eyes dripping tears,

Daddy, you were supposed to catch me.

Girl on the corner,

Flagging the passing cars,

Skirt barely covering what’s for sale.

Someone was supposed to catch her.

She is somebody’s daughter.

Someone was supposed to catch her when she fell,

Catch her, when she fell.

She’s somebody’s daughter.

Roe.

October 2020