Poem by: J.R. Geiger
Genre: Non-Fiction
Recoginized, All-Time Best
Emotion Poetry Contest Entry, November 13, 2026
Pick an emotion and write a poem of any type.
My Superman, my hero, always strong and true,
The world once was vibrant, shining bright and new.
Now it shifts and twists into cloudy days,
Lost inside a labyrinth, an unforgiving haze.
This cruel kryptonite, a silent, ruthless thief,
Stealing treasured moments, sowing endless grief.
I still see the fight within your loving eyes,
You are still my Dad, the man I idolize.
And even as the edges twist and start to blur,
The love I hold for you always will endure.
For in my heart and soul, you will always be,
That perfect Man of Steel who protected me.
Though the path ahead is steep and often fraught,
I hold every lesson and the love you taught.
They always shine within me, burning strong and bright,
They are my guiding star and my endless light.
My Superman, my Dad, changed you may seem,
You’re still the superhero living in my dreams.
And in this weary battle, I always will be near,
I will hold you close and calm your deepest fears.
When shadows start to lengthen and the light begins to fade,
My love for you’s a lantern cutting through the haze.
Each laugh and every hug, sacred, cherished parts,
Will forever be engraved deep within my heart.
Words may sometimes falter, some may even cease,
My love will still endure and bring you inner peace.
And when that day arrives, that the mind forgets,
You will always be my Dad—I have no regrets.
I LOVE YOU, POP!!
Author's Note: My Dad is now 83, served 3 tours in Viet Nam. He has Alzheimer's. He deserves a lot better than this life gave him.
The picture is from a May 2023 road trip to Bowling Green, Kentucky to get the heat shield from my convertible Accelerate Yellow 2023 Stingray Z51 signed by some of the factory workers. We actually lucked out and got some signatures of some of the Corvette Design Team too.
We drove my orange Challenger to and from Bowling Green. My Corvette's heat shield was in the trunk. We took my Challenger cuz Dad has bad knees and can't get into my Corvette. He tried.
Dad "remembers" us driving my Challenger to Bowling Green, picking up my Corvette, him driving my Challenger back, and me driving my Corvette back home to Iowa. I don't correct him. If that's his memory, God bless him!
On a side note, I did let my Dad sign the heat shield too. He was the one who raised me to work hard for the things I want.
© Copyright 2025 J.R. Geiger. All rights reserved.
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But you just proved me wrong!
Congrats on winning the contest! And what a fabulous tribute to your dad. My father had Alzheimer's, too. It's actually worse for the family than for the patient, because it takes them back to a happy time in their lives. My dad went back to being 6 years old, to a time before his parents were both killed in a car/train accident in 1923.
Your trip to Bowling Green is something you will never forget. A great job on this one.
And thank your dad for me for his service in Viet Nam. That one was tough. My brother was there, and today he's got Parkinson's because of Agent Orange. He's 77.
Author
Reply
Thank you for the kind words, MJ!
Dad was exposed the agent orange too. Im not so sure it didn't have something to do with his Alzheimer's.
The one thing that gives me some semblance of piece is that Dad gets that "first time feeling" eberutime he watches a TV show or movie he's seen dozens of times or when he eats his favorite foods.
It was good to read your prize-winning tribute to your dad, fine, deeply felt poem. The love you put into it.
What a special trip the two of you had together. Signatures from the Corvette Design Team. And more from workers for the convertible Yellow 2023 Stingray 251. The name alone says speed. Lee
There has to be at least fifty signatures on the heat shield.
That’s a fantastic poem , if your father didn’t realise how much you care for him, he sure does now. Life can be so unkind to people who don’t deserve it. Hats off to your father for serving 3 tors in Vietnam. he’s a brave man. Take care Stuart
Author
Reply
Thank you, my friend!
This was an emotional read, the love you have for your father and he has for you just jumps from the page. I fully understand where you are coming from with this and to be honest I did tear up a bit. My dad fought in Korea, they call that the forgotten war. He carried the PTSD for the rest of his life, screaming in his dreams, drinking problems and being withdrawn. He never spoke about the war until one day the Captain from the Recovery Centre we work with (we work with serving and non-serving personnel using equines) came to visit and I told my dad to show him his medals. He then sat and recounted the battles he had fought in and I saw by the reaction on the Captain's face that this was serious stuff. When my dad died of cancer not long after that, the Captain organised for a military piper to pipe the coffin in and out of the church and he attended in full military dress, saluting the coffin. I will be forever grateful to him for this, it was truly an honour.
Author
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I thank you for your father's service and God bless him and your entire family!
Marilyn Johnson