Gadgets and gizmos,
trinkets with silvery trims,
these were the things
that were most important to him.
The old, cranberry carpet
was forever threadbare,
but that was no worry
because daddy didn’t care.
His only real concern
were his shiny new toys,
and when mama would yell,
he’d just block out the noise.
The house was rather unkempt
and in dire need of repair,
but my dear old dad,
he never did despair.
He’d just shrug his shoulders,
in his nonchalant way, because
there was nothing he loved more
than all his junk and disarray.
I think mama finally gave up
cause she knew she’d never win.
Nobody could ever change him;
it’s just the way he’s always been.
I guess I’m secretly proud
that he never gave in.
I think people should stay true
to their passions within.
There’s no telling who he’d be
if mama had had her way,
and I surely wouldn’t be
the person I am today.
So thank you, Dad,
for being true to who you are.
I still love you so very much,
even from afar.
© 2021 Michelle Cook
Photo credit: https://pixabay.com/photos/auto-car-garage-auto-shop-vintage-1868726/
Writing prompt: Cranberry shag carpet and glinting gizmos
Her Writing Haven 
What a truly beautiful tribute to your Dad, Michelle.
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Thank you… ❤️
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You’re welcome 🙂
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So touching and beautiful, Michelle. Thank you for sharing this. A sweet tribute indeed.
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Thank you so much, George. 😉 The childhood memories just came flooding through when I delved into this prompt.
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Oh that is a fantastic story and the rhymes are great!
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Thank you… I had no idea at first where this prompt would go. Funny how our minds work and where they take us.
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awww that is sooo sweet Michelle even though your mom didn’t love it but like you say, you are who you are because of him . 👏👏👏👏
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Thank you, Cindy. And so is she! This was one of those prompts that left me wondering what I could possibly write about. But we had this old nasty green shag carpet when I was growing up, and because my dad is such a collector of antiques and a machinist by trade, I started thinking of making it about him. And it’s not exactly what I would’ve written about him if I was only doing a poem with thoughts about him. But the prompt led me down this path and now I’m thinking I should do another with just him in mind.
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You’re so welcome.
Oh for the old shag carpets and green at that …lol.
Good it left an imprint for a great poem and I’ll await your new one coming up as a real tribute of who he is to you! 💖💖🌷🌷🌷
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I guess people in the seventies just wanted to bring the feel of grass inside. Lol… 🤷♀️ Funny thing about that shag carpet, I remember the Rainbow Vacuum guy coming round to show us his contraption. And the way all the dirt would get sucked up into the water inside the vacuum was incredibly impressive to me. Of course the darn thing cost a few thousand dollars and so of course my mother said no. I think I would’ve loved those carpets so much more if we’d had such a wonderful invention to clean them with.
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Oh yeah, I can attest to that an dmy fav color to where was lime green and purple. ASe had thos shags too. Wow a rainbow vacuum cleaner. Your ddid would have probably bought one if your mother didn’t put her foot down. They did fee good on your feet for sure! I’m certain we had one too. I’ll have to ask my mom.
I hear a poem coming on Michelle!
lol 🤣
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Lol… you know me too well. 😉
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hahahhhhaha 🤣
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