Tom Gage’s daughter expresses love for dad in touching poem
My Dadâs Way
My dadâs way of saying âYouâre just like me!â
âRotten apples donât bounce far from the treeâ
The back-handed compliment I loved to hear
The two of us chuckling and sharing a beer
My dadâs way of making a wrong joke right
With his dialects, mannerisms⌠such a sight!
Never worried how many times weâd heard it before
Somehow he still managed to make us roar
My dadâs way of scaring-off the young boys
He said âNo worries, son, this rifle is just ONE of my toysâ
They would cower and tuck tails quickly and shyly
While my dad stood watching and smiling wryly
My dadâs way of always finding something to learn
âLook it up in the encyclopediaâ he would say, quite stern
âOkay, dad⌠the word âneighborâ is German and means
Near-dweller⌠Now, can I eat the rest of my beans?â
My dadâs way of enjoying a good storm roll through
Watching the grey clouds take over the blue
Torching his pipe and kicking up his feet
Patting his thigh for me to take a seat
My dadâs way of needing to throw heavy things
His competitive nature, the happiness it brings
To those who admire and watch in great awe
âThe Screamâ makes viewers question what they just saw
My dadâs way of camping, fishing, hunting and hiking
He even tackled the Beartooth by biking
Cross-country skiing, the only man that I knew
Who would ski knee-deep to build an igloo
My dadâs way of wearing his plaid flannel shirt
Somehow, from scratchy to soft it would convert
Within a hug that engulfed me in an instant, like that
And often paired with his favorite black hat
My dadâs way of braving me leaving our home
âDo you have a quarter? While youâre out, while you roam?â
Iâd nod and say, âYes, of course, Dad⌠Iâll call if I needâ
And with a final, âMake good decisionsâ heâd hope I would heed
My dadâs way off making a square, flat-tipped nose endearing
At me, his sparkling blue eyes would be peering
From under his fluffy blonde eyebrows that didnât match
His shock of black hair, I would brag, âMy dad is a catch!â
My dadâs way of calling me âPoohâ or âPooh Bearâ
Always said tenderly, with a great amount of care
He called me that, he told me, because of my simple ambien online mind
Said with appreciation, admiration⌠his âone of a kindâ
My dadâs way of fixing cars in the garage
When not going well it was an absolute barrage
Of curse words, a whole slew⌠long and quite robust
But he would figure it out, fix that thing, after he fussed
My dadâs way of never giving up, on things or on me
When stuck on a problem and wanting to flee
Heâd quote âNever, never, never, never give up,â from Churchill
I hear my dad and those words when I donât have the will
My dadâs way of then saying, âWith you I never worry.â
âYouâre like a cat⌠even when life is quite blurryâ
Heâd say with confidence and truly upbeat
âYou, my dear daughter, always land on your feetâ
My dadâs way of being so stubborn and resourceful
Somehow he managed to be both without being forceful
He did things with such determination and heart
Never afraid to tackle an issue, a challenge⌠always ready to start
My dadâs way of serving coffee like mud, no fluff
Stronger than strong⌠and black⌠some of you know the stuff
And thatâs who he was⌠hefty, hearty and thick
Healthy I thought⌠I mean, the man never got sick
My dadâs way of brewing beer completely from scratch
Oh my gosh⌠my mom, once, blew-up a batch
Molasses spotted our kitchen for a few days
But my dad merely chuckled, to him it did not phase
My dadâs way of moving⌠the mannerisms that were just him
Like pushing his hair behind his ear when it was in need of a trim
Or the way he held his pipe while he chewed on the tip
Heâd give the smoke and extra puff off the end of his lip
My dadâs way of squeezing me ever-so-tight
These moments filled with pride and love⌠everything so right!
No other place in the world Iâd rather be
Than in my dadâs bear hug⌠him holding me
My dadâs way of thinking he would somehow live forever
And Iâd think to myself, âWell, now isnât that clever?â
Such a wishful, silly thing to think and feel
Didnât he know that dream wasnât real?
My dadâs way was a way like no other
Not like his mom, his dad or even his brother
But a way to live life, a way all his own
He lived and played HARD right down to the bone
My dadâs way is a way that lives forever within me
The rotten apple definitely did not bounce far from that tree
I donât know in which moments this great loss will hit⌠or where
But my love for my dad⌠well, there is nothing so deep, so rare
And nothing in this world will ever compare!
Loving you Always and Forever, Dad!
~ Your Pooh Bear
7 Responses
What an awesome tribute to a guy I was lucky enough to have thrown with a few times.
Beautiful writing! Glad to have learned more about Tom’s life through the creative and loving words of his daughter. I may have very well missed it, but too bad I never read more about Tom and his life in general in a written profile on this site before, as I have about other site favorites. I think before reading this wonderful piece, I knew more about Ruth Frith’s personal life, or the emotions one has while nude photo’s are taken of them, than I did of Tom who was a fellow American thrower, and now know after reading his daughter’s writing, was one heck of a great man. Thank you for sharing Ali. Your Dad will always be alive in the hearts of those who he competed with, and knew him. May we all one day say, we lived such a full, rich and loving life as Tom…
Didn’t know Tom Gage, but all of us who are serious about throwing know about him.
This poem helped us know a little about a man who was more than just a special athlete!
Great tribute!!
This is a poem that really deserves several readings. I found that on every reading it gets better. What a man Tom was, and what a daughter he had in Ali.
Ali ,
thank you for that ..I have a daughter and it is special to read this . We fathers love our daughters so much and because of this I know one thing, your father would never be that far from you….he is still with you I know….and I imagine that you know it too. Thank you so much for sharing.
Rob Suelflohn
Mens 50 National Champion
That is so beautiful, thanks so much for sharing. I first meet Tom in 2000, at the USCAA Nationals…we were teammates that weekend, an honor to say the least!
Wow! I just happened across this. Thank y’all for reading and responding. I’m happy I could allow some insight into the incredible man I had in my dad. He really was one of a kind. I can’t begin to express how very deeply I miss him. Anyway, this was a nice sight for sore eyes today. Hope y’all are happy, healthy and well. Peace âĽ
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