Once She Walked

She is standing in the front hallway
grinning at her image in the glass of the wood framed portrait
her white sleeveless blouse with blue patterned flowers
and the top of her white pleated skirt faintly visible
She is admiring her reflection and the portrait
which is of a beautiful woman
whose dark blue eyes and long wavy black hair
match the image of herself except for a white dot of scar tissue
that borders the young girl's upper lip

In the upstairs bedroom the father is dressed
taking care to look current
reminded of his friends' warnings
that preteen girls are often critical of their father’s clothes
He hesitates on the stairs
hoping she will approve of his outfit
each wooden step creaks as he steps
like the springs on his bed when his children jump on it
but slower

She sees him in pieces as he descends
first his large brown shoes with seams sloping towards the toes
slightly worn at each tip but polished to a shine
then his black pants, pleated and pressed as always
and his belt of hardened leather
then the green and black plaid shirt curtained by a woven hunter green sweater
He pauses on the last stair browsing her expression
and when she smiles he smiles in relief
He stands behind her patting her shoulders
father and daughter mirrored in the glass
superimposed over the watchful eyes of the portrait
He is momentarily struck by the girl’s likeness to her mother
The heaviness in their eyes, tragic beauty
until in his own image he notices a stray hair that has lifted from the others
and licks his hand to pat down the strand.
He twirls her arm in a spin as they waltz out the front door
neglecting to fasten the lock
beginning their weekly stroll to Ben and Jerry's
She skips and flits basking
in the myopic attention of her father
who tips his cap to the neighborhood women sitting on a porch
smiling at them with a flirtatious widower's grin
unprivy to their petty whispers about a father
who would let his decade old daughter
the girl with the cigarette scar on her lip
wear a sleeveless blouse sans jacket or sweater
on a such a chilly October night.