All For You, Aleu

The secret I hid from you

The spirit you never hid from me

I tried to keep you safe

Bolted you up in a house of lies

Boards of secrecy and twisted love painstakingly placed

Nails of fear knocked in as secure as can be

But eventually you found the walls I’d put up

And your spirit hates to be restrained

So somehow you broke free of my bonds

And the lies and secrets and fear I’d built up over the years

Came crashing down around you and me

Oh, Aleu, what am I going to do with you?

Your searching paws scrabbled in the rubble for security

But it was crushed, destroyed, killed

Just like all my deceit and lies and your trust in me

So you reached out, but ran from me when I called

All my love and understanding as a wolf-dog and a father

Had been part of that house of lies I had built to protect you

And now they were as dead as your faith in me

Somehow, you are my daughter and I am your father

Our relationship crumbled into the dust along with my lies

Please, let’s help each other build

This time my motive’s clear and true

I will only build if you will, Aleu

First the board of trust

Then the board of truth

We hammer them in with nails of love, not fear

Together we can build a bridge to where we meet

And accept ourselves for who we are

Aleu, this is all for you

Slowly, slowly, the house is rebuilt and new

This time with love and acceptance between you and I

The house I had built on my own would never have lasted,

I know now…and it didn’t.

This time we build it together, make ourselves new

You will always be my daughter, and I love you for you

I love you, Aleu

Always