You sit there swirling the coffee in your cup
Work-hardened fingers grasping the spoon
Its so small in your hand
Your ice-blue eyes look straight through me
Towards the cavorting daemons of your past
Causing that twitch in your lined cheek to start up again
Your cracked lips start to tremble, and you push yourself up from the table
Muscles flexing, tensing your flannel work shirt
You walk away without a word
Fingers fumbling with your worn pocket
Searching for your vice

Lighting up and puffing the cancerous smoke in and out
Before you even reach the porch

As the bitter scent drifts into the kitchen
Filling my nostrils
I watch your coffee spin dizzily in the ceramic mug
And I wonder...

Daddy, who are you?