The speaker remembers their father who left when they were young. They only met him once on their first birthday and wonder what life would have been like if he had stayed and been their dad. The speaker feels the father broke promises to raise them and be selfless, though acknowledges it was the 1980s. While the memory of his face is faded, the speaker hopes their father is still out there and would like to meet him without anger if he knocked on the door or called occasionally. The speaker has now grown up with a different last name but no hatred for the father they barely knew.

1. The memory of a man I never knew

2. When I am lonely, at home and bored as a post I think of you sometimes as if you are a ghost I wonder what it would be like if you were my dad Would I be any different be stronger, be sad?

3. I remember the day like it had just past That you came for my birthday, my first and my last The gift that you gave me was cool and was neat But all I was seeking was just too hard to keep

4. The promise you made when you were so young You’d be faithful and selfless to raise one of your own I’m sure it was hard to leave us all alone But it was the 80’s man, and you did have a phone!

5. My memory escapes me of the shape of your face But I do remember the mess you made at our place The door was wide, always open for you to come back But as I got older it has closed to the size of a crack

6. Without my intention that door SLAMMED in the heat of the night But the thought of never meeting gave me a huge fright If you are still out there I hope you exist I’m sure I would like to meet you without the strike of my fist

7. A simple call or a knock on the door Occasionally would have settled the score And until this day I just thought you might…….. But you disappeared like a ghost in the night

8. So this is me wondering what it would be like to be a Stait But now I’m a Maroney with just love and no hate So here’s to a memory of a man that I never knew A person that I’d seen once which seemed too few