To dad

She tiptoes around you,
Barely mouthing a word.
She's scared of what he will say,
Even if he has misheard.

She springs to attention,
At the mention of her name.
Then when their eye's meet,
She turns away in shame.

She loves him enough to hate him,
But doesn't know how to say it to his face.
She misses the father-daughter attention,
But still tries to fill that empty place.

She wants to be daddies little girl again,
And talk like they used to.
She wants him to hold her,
Like he used to do.

She will one day tell you,
And break this dangerous silence.
She will laugh with you again,
Forgetting the yelling and the violence.