Time With My Dad

This is a really simple poem that I wrote when I was 12 and in seventh grade. It is about a time in sixth grade. I look back at this day now and realize how selfish I was as a child, and just how many sacrifices my parents made to help me be happy. I love them more for it.

This poem describes a Friday in 6th grade. Our class was going on a big field trip to the Arizona Renaissance Fair outside of Phoenix. We were going to be assigned partners, and we had to check in with our teachers twice, but other than that we were free at the fair. I HAD to go. One, I really wanted to be with my "boyfriend" away from the school. We had been going out for almost three years, and I REALLY REALLY wanted to hold his hand. (Which, I did...)  Second, I was supposed to be partnered with this girl that had been having a really hard time. She'd been gone for almost two weeks. She'd ripped everyone's pictures off her desk (it was cool to tape them on top) EXCEPT mine. I could barely stand her, but I'd volunteered to be her partner since I was the only one left she wanted to talk with. I HAD to go to the fair so she wouldn't be alone.

At the same time, my family was planning a week long trip to Disneyland with my Grandma, who was flying in to Phoenix that afternoon. The plan was to leave after school as a family, drive to Phoenix to pick her up, and then head to Anaheim.

That presented a problem. The bus from the fair wouldn't be back until six or seven, but that was when my Grandma's plane was scheduled to arrive. I was told I'd have to miss the field trip and stay home. And that caused TRAUMA! I HAD TO GO!!! 

Well, my wonderful parents worked it out. My dad drove down early to the fair (my mom couldn't leave early because of something at work). He picked me up and we hung out in Phoenix until my grandma's plane landed. Then, my mom drove down with CJ and Clay. We parked my dad's truck somewhere for the week, and then drove to LA. It couldn't have been cheap to make that extra trip in a truck, but we did.

Not only did I get to go on the field trip, but I got to spend a whole afternoon with my dad. I've been obsessed with the Three Musketeers and Keither Sutherland ever since we watched the movie that day.

Long explanation to lead up to this.

Time with my Dad (image poem)
I climbed onto the truck to say goodbye,
Then climbed into our truck.
Dad and I rode to Phoenix, drinking sodas
We drove for so long I was sure we were lost
but we weren't.
We stopped at Home Base just to look
We went to the theater and watched a movie
We rode to the parking garage and parked the truck.
Then we rode the trolley to the airport
I was tired.
Then Dad got out a deck of cards.
He taught me poke; we played; he won
He teased me; we laughed.
I was glad I had time with him,
I laughed again.