Father

I do not miss you because I never knew you
Perhaps I would have missed you if I'd seen you more than once
But as soon as you came you were gone again
I had dreams of bouncing on your knee as a child
Hearing you yell, "That's my girl."
Staring down young men who came to take me out
Telling me how proud you were on the day of graduation
Hugging me as you gave me away at my wedding
I can almost envision the tears in your eyes when you held my daughter for the 
  first time in your arms
But all was an illusion, for you were never here
Your shadow never graced our steps
Soon others took your place
So many came and many went
I soon forgot you in the face of new loss
But once in a while, when there was no one else to miss for the moment
It was then that I thought of you
A better you
A man on a white horse, smiling and saying, "I'm sorry I left, but I'm here now
  and I love you."
And so I missed this man on the white horse
But I did not miss you
I never knew you, because as soon as you came, you were gone.