Father

Posted on 2019-03-21 by Olga

Survivor of Stalin and Hitler

Unspoken horrors 

Buried behind intense eyes

Lucky to be alive

 

Ship of freedom

Called his name

Little education

Hard work his destiny

 

Man of few words

Man who rarely smiled 

Father who carried me through life

Father I barely knew

 

*(Yes, that’s me with my older brother and mother. There was only one other sibling to come after this photo. Don’t have a clue why everyone is dressed so fancy. )

 

V. J.’s Challenge: Things My Father Said

 

About Olga

I have always had an affinity for artistic endeavors and the beauties of nature. The power of the word combined with photography have become my creative spark.
This entry was posted in Photography, Poetry and tagged , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

23 Responses to Father

  1. roseelaineblog says:
    2019-03-21 at 2:50 pm

    He was a very handsome man

    Liked by 1 person

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    • Olga says:
      2019-03-21 at 2:58 pm

      Thanks, Elaine. Yes, he was. That photo was taken in 1954. His face is very grainy, but I’m glad that I was able to edit out some other distracting imperfections. 🙂

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      Reply
  2. roseelaineblog says:
    2019-03-21 at 3:00 pm

    Is that you as a baby ?

    Liked by 1 person

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  3. V.J. Knutson says:
    2019-03-21 at 3:18 pm

    What a survivor your father was – cannot imagine what he went through. Love the old photograph.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  4. whippetwisdom says:
    2019-03-21 at 4:41 pm

    Your poor father, there’s a lot of pain in those eyes. So little was known or acknowledged in those days about PTSD, it may have been difficult for him to express the joy you and your siblings brought him 💜

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  5. Pingback: To All Aspiring Dads – One Woman's Quest II

  6. Pleasant Street says:
    2019-03-26 at 6:46 am

    This is a wonderful tribute, and I am happy to have found your blog again. That WP glitch has lost many to the void, so I have followed you once more

    Liked by 1 person

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  7. awisewomansjourney says:
    2019-03-27 at 6:55 pm

    So beautifully transparent! ❤

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  8. memadtwo says:
    2019-03-28 at 12:03 pm

    My father would never talk about the war and what he saw. An entire generation was shaped by it in ways we will never understand. But they never whined or asked you to feel sorry for them…hard to believe given today’s climate. (K)

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    • Olga says:
      2019-03-28 at 12:47 pm

      We share a similar history with our fathers. He also didn’t speak of the war nor the family he left behind. I did get to meet two of my mother’s sisters though. One immigrated to England and the other my mom brought over from Ukraine for a short visit. When people speak of knowing their grandparents, no such thing for me.

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  9. Sheila Murrey says:
    2019-04-09 at 11:23 am

    Beautifully written. Your words are poignant and reminds me why several of my loved ones do not (or cannot) talk about the war (or the past). ❤️🦋🌀

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