A Poem for My Daughter

You don't know me,
At least - not really.
You smile shyly when you see me
And giggle madly when we hug
But you've got no idea -
This man who shows up,
Grinning like a madman
Hugging you and spinning you round,
You see the smiles -
But never the tears,
The sad moments when I can't distract myself,
When I'm overwhelmed by the miles between us.
You don't know that me -
And if I'm lucky, you'll never have to.