Father said not to worry about anything.
He was working to provide for my needs.
And I believed him.

Father said he would never let anyone hurt me.
He was there to protect me, Mother, and my brother Paul.
And I believed him.

Father said not to worry about climate change;
the science is still debatable.
And I believed him.

Father said the abortion of an unborn child is an abomination.
Life is sacred. Only God can take a life.
And I believed him.

Father said the only thing better than a bad guy with a gun
was a good guy with a gun.
And I believed him.

Father said the War on Drugs
was meant to keep me, Mother, and Paul safe.
And I believed him.

Father said the English teacher and poet I was dating was a dreamer.
He would abandon me when the going got tough.
And I believed him.

Father said Bill came from a highly respected and successful family.
He would make a good husband and father.
And I believed him.

Father said too many government regulations
are bad for business.
And I believed him.

Father said I could be whatever I wanted to become in life
—even President of the United States.
And I believed him.

Father said when we give tax breaks to big corporations,
they create more jobs.
And I believed him.

Father said the War on Terror was necessary
to keep our country safe from terrorists.
And I believed him.

Father said we have nuclear weapons as a deterrence
against mutually assured destruction.
And I believed him.

***

Father, where were you when
a crazed gunman
terrorized our college campus?

Father, where were you when
Bill escaped to Las Vegas
with his numerous lovers?

Father, where were you when
Paul paid to have his pregnant girlfriend
abort their baby?

Father, where were you when
cancer cells slowly drained Mother’s energies
and stole the smile from her gaunt cheeks?

Father, what other lies have you told me?

 

Captioned photo was sourced on Pinterest.