You can let go daddy

He tries his damnedest
to hold on to the 4 year old girl
that used to sit on his knee
and beg him to never put her down

to the giggling, blue-eyed baby girl
that would hold on tight with her little hand
to his pinkie finger

he tries to not cry when he looks at how grown she's become
and notices how her little blond curls
turned into a thick fountain of hair that cascades over her shoulders.

he remembers when he used to throw her over his shoulders and run around the house
her laughter echoed through his heart

now it hurts to watch her fly away
to watch her not really need him to protect her anymore
he wishes he could go back
to where she asked him to do everything

to kill the spider on the wall
to sing her to sleep

now he watches his little girl
play softball
sing on stage
cheer at the football games

and he'll just sit there in silence
trying to stop the tears
when she noticed one fall
and it killed her to see the strongest man she ever knew
to cry over his little girl finally growing up.

she will look at him
and say "you can let go daddy"
but he wont ever let go
and she wont ever know

that when he looks at her
he sees the woman he was always afraid that she would become some day
when she wont need him anymore
and he gives her away

it'll be the hardest
especially when she whispers
"you can let go daddy"