An old man sat beside the fire, his eyes

brimming with tears.

The lines in his face make him appear

older than his years.

As the fire crackles, he ponders some

bittersweet moments they shared.

But the memories make it more than

the old man's heart can bear.

He remembers the happier times and the way

her eyes grew big and round.

When the ice cream truck could be heard

by it's old familiar sound.

The man's shoulders beginning

now to shake and then

Finally giving way to emotions

he's kept too long within.

Remembering, he pulled something from the

pocket of his tattered coat.

On the last Father's Day they'd spent,

she'd given him this note.

"Roses are red, violets are blue,

God loves me, and Daddy I love you.

And for as long as I live until the day I die,

Daddy, you'll always be a hero in this little girl's eyes."

So when the struggles of life become

more than he feels he's earned.

Her simple card reminds him there's nothing

more lasting than when one's love is returned.