Daddy's Girl

I look just like you
Your nose, your cheekbones, your forehead I stole
Carbon-copied and claimed as my own
Even if you took a sample of my DNA
And made a female five inches shorter
50 pounds lighter and wit hair longer there's no way
It would look more like you than I do
And I hated you
Cursed the mirror because this face reminds me of you
And how much you weren't around
Prayed for a broken ankle, sprained knee, torn ACL
So my steps could be altered by boot or crutch
And I wouldn't walk like you
I turned my nose up at people who had dads
Fanatical dads who attended basketball games wearing jersey shirts
Screaming at refs and calling out plays
"You gotta shoot the ball!"
Protective dads who chase niggas away on first dates
With promises of fake shotguns and ass kickings
"You touch my daughter and they will never find your body."
I cried because I knew I had a special kind of dad
A victim dad who makes it sound like an 11-year-old girl's fault that they haven't spoken in months
"Why haven't you called your daddy?"
You made me hate Six Flags
The thought of having to willfully endure another rollercoaster ride
That left me hanging and pushed me to the brink of tears
Sent traumatic chills up my spine
The sad thing is every aspect of myself that I cherish dearly
Originated paternally
My tenacious spirit, my determination
My slight ADD that constantly keeps me busy
I mean, who woulda known my umbilical cord would become the microphone cord
That ties us together with the same tone
The same diction
The same voice
The same animation
No, I don't preach in churches but I do feed words to the masses
Just like you
By the time I was 16, I figured it was easier to just stare at a mirror
Or my own shadow if I wanted to see you
And now
With you all in my face it seems like I can't get enough of your features
Those dimples, those laughlines, those ears
I guess I gotta accept that something more than my name
Makes me a Daddy's Girl