In loving memory of J.R. "Hat" Hattaway
Your kindness, love, friendship, and influence
are immortal.
Copyright September 1997
by Patricia Speer
A man so kind
Who never minded the company of two so young.
Your home-a haven of happiness
Your affection-a world of good
For two so young.
You gave to us so freely.
You could always see the brightness and
potential in me.
You made me feel so extraordinary
in a world that seemed so ordinary.
You saw beauty and life
in a girl caught up in familial strife.
You lent us your wife,
who had an eternal array of stories
to entertain
during those endless childhood days.
Oh-how we all loved to laugh!
So much of the world I discovered
in your presence as we traveled so
often to the sea
enjoying the pleasures of an exalted existence.
Ours was a relationship singular:
Neither our uncle nor our father-
You were our friend and chosen
family.
Your love provided an awkward
tomboy and her sister sanctuary.
An open mind and heart
For 20 years you shared-
Showing us love and achievement.
Can you only know what that meant
to one so young?
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