Departure
He was there at the airport
of our colorful Brazilian hometown.
His eyes had aged
And his fine, thinning hair
had been tinted
by the white of time.
His gestures were small
and complacent.
I knew him for so long
And so intently
Yet I could say nothing.
To tell him
I loved him
Wouldn’t suffice.
Half of my life
I have been gone…
His embrace felt both
Awkward and comforting.
But it was the familiar sound
of his voice that made me cry.
So I said a faded good bye
once again.
And my father was left standing
Among other family members,
behind the glass wall and the magnetometer.
He stood there vigilant and contrite
Until I couldn’t see him any longer.
Now we were father
and daughter apart.
The secret of our exposed love,
Intact.
And the weight of my heart
Was so intense that
Almost kept the plane
from taking flight.
Sandra Lira Rodrigues
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