if i'm okay (excerpt from 'From My Front Steps')

<p>excerpt from my book 'FROM MY FRONT STEPS'</p> <p><br></p> <p>'if i’m okay'</p> <p><br></p> <p>she’s having her first sleepover</p> <p>i can feel her glow from down the block</p> <p>she’s found a friend who accepts her as she is</p> <p>it’s all i could ever ask for</p> <p>a lesson i pray she learns</p> <p>without my constant reminding</p> <p>it’s hard being a father</p> <p>trading football jersey for dolls</p> <p>a stern tongue for princess voices</p> <p>and i’d be a liar if i said i wasn’t a bit sad</p> <p>and i’d be a liar if i said i won’t consult</p> <p>the stuffed animals lining her bed tonight</p> <p>hoping they’ll ask in inflections i impersonate</p> <p>if i’m okay.</p> <p><br></p> <p>#barflypoet</p> <p>#josephapinto</p> <p>www.josephpinto.com</p> <p>© Copyright Joseph A. Pinto. All Rights Reserved.</p> <p>*</p> <p>Poetry served to you raw and unedited from the moment crafted;</p> <p>all poetry is older work and chosen at random unless otherwise noted.</p> <p>*</p> <p>'From My Front Steps,' 'Scotch and Scars' and 'A Distilled Spirit' poetry collections available in paperback and ebook on Amazon.</p>