Oh, My Pappá!

Bouts of depression there had been some,
But when all's said and done,
Basically, Daddy was a happy man,
And therefore so were we.

Daddy, I was wont to say,
(when he tread upon my toes}
Excuse me, not oops
Is what one should say.

Then with impish grin
Va bene! he would say,
Scusa mi! ;Scusa mi!
Okay?

Many and many a year
Has gone since he went away,
But as I grow old and older still
I miss him every day.