In her daydreams she dreams a man
who praises her always and lifts her high,
who doesn’t smell of ashtrays,
whiskey, garlic, old basements or sour socks,
plays badminton and croquet with her
at family picnics,
shows her how to pitch a horseshoe,
toss a baseball like her cousins in the little league,
sends her to her mother to explain
why she doesn’t have a tail like boys do
He greets her with a joke and a wink
No scolding or name calling or grouchy feelings
Doesn’t quite know how to say it yet
but when she does,
she may one day write down
he carried her on his shoulders
with all the best wishes, the highest hopes,
all the good graces of second fathers