Fathers And Sons

How do fathers
Who grew up without fathers
Raise sons to be fathers
Who know what it means
To be a son

Growing up without my father
Made me want to be better
At being a father
More than anything
And anyone

Always fair and firm
Along with loving and giving
My best efforts to be a father
No matter what all seemed
To be wrong

No expectations from me
Or any pressure to be
And always saying
"I love you"
Never got the job done

Maybe it is too early to say
It will always be this way
Both saying "I hate you"
With no love for their father
From either son

It was more important to me
To raise them to be
Independent and strong
Than to try
And be their friend

But I have done all I can
To help both become a man
Despite how it hurts
And how it can possibly get worse
My job is done