To William Boyd as he turns eighty

On the occasion of the 80th anniversary of your birth,
I am writing this poem to admire your girth,
Of character, that is, and humor, and love,
You are the old man that I am thinking of,

You are the father that sang “Tell Me Why”
You are the Daddy that played monster, “Oh my!”
You are the man that displayed all the stuff
that men should be made of in case things got rough,

I am grateful to God that I had such a Father,
A guy who was solid, and strong just like our Mother.

On your 80th birthday, we can look back and say,
Life’s been terrific, exciting, and fun.
Who knew this all could happen when you were just one!!!

You’ve succeeded, and traveled, and met all the dares
Now it’s time to sit back and enjoy, without any cares.

I thank you immensely for being my Dad.
I am proud to have known you since you were a lad.

Happy 80th Birthday, and many more.