shared fate

my fathers sister died when he was six
my grandmother lost her first child
she blamed my father for her death
he had the measles first
they kept him from the funeral
said he was too young to attend
he knew she was too young to die
he told me about it over dinner once
i never knew my dad could cry
nor that one day I would share his fate
sometimes i look in the mirror and i see his eyes in place of mine
sad eyes
full of heartache
in his passion were his tears
in his love he had anger
he never did forgive the world
i know this now
i feel it now
as my anger builds
and my heartache becomes stronger
i recount his years
i understand who he was
why he was
sad eyes
full of heartache
entrenched in love, in passion and in laughter
sometimes i look in the mirror and i see his eyes in place of mine
who knew one day I would share his fate