Carl Bottomley (27 Feb 1944 - 16 Jul 2019)

My Father kept a garden.
A garden of the heart;
He planted all the good things,
That gave my life its start.
He turned me to the sunshine,
And encouraged me to dream:
Fostering and nurturing
The seeds of self-esteem.
And when the winds and rains came,
He protected me enough;
But not too much, he knew I’d need
To stand up strong and tough.
His constant good example,
Always taught me right from wrong;
Markers for my pathway
To last my whole life long.
I am my Fathers garden,
I am his legacy.
And I hope today he feels the love,
Reflected back from me

My Father kept a garden.
A garden of the heart;
He planted all the good things,
That gave my life its start.
He turned me to the sunshine,
And encouraged me to dream:
Fostering and nurturing
The seeds of self-esteem.
And when the winds and rains came,
He protected me enough;
But not too much, he knew I’d need
To stand up strong and tough.
His constant good example,
Always taught me right from wrong;
Markers for my pathway
To last my whole life long.
I am my Fathers garden,
I am his legacy.
And I hope today he feels the love,
Reflected back from mE