Eminem’s Mockingbird: A Father Reassures His Daughters

I know sometimes

things may not always make sense to you right now.

But hey,

what daddy always tell you?

Straighten up, little soldier.

Stiffen up that upper lip.

What you crying about?

You got me?

Hailie, I know you miss your mom, and I know you miss your dad

when I'm gone, but

I'm tryna give you the life that I never had.

I can see you're sad even when you smile, even when you laugh.

I can see it in your eyes, deep inside you wanna cry 'cause you're

scared I

ain't there. Daddy's with you in your prayers.

No more crying, wipe them tears.

Daddy's here, no more nightmares. We gon' pull together through it,

we gon' do it.

Lainie uncle's crazy, ain't he? Yeah, but he loves you, girl,

and you better know

it. We're all we got in this world. When it spins, when it swirls,

when it whirls,

when it twirls. Two little beautiful girls lookin'

puzzled, in a daze.

I know it's confusin' you. Daddy's always on the move,

mama's always on

the news. I try to keep you sheltered from it,

but somehow it seems the harder that

I try to do that, the more it backfires on me.

All the things growin' up as daddy that he had to see, daddy don't want you

to see, but you see just as much as he did.

We did not plan it to be this way, your mother and me,

but things have got so bad

between us, I don't see us ever bein' together ever

again like

we used to be when we was teenagers.

But then of course, everything always happens for a reason.

I guess it was never meant to be, but it's just somethin' we have no control

over,

and that's what destiny is. But no more worries, rest your head

and go to

sleep. Maybe one day we'll wake up and this'll all just be a dream.

Now hush, little baby, don't you cry, everything's

gonna be alright. Stiffen that upper lip up, little lady.

I told you daddy's here to hold you through the night.

I know mommy's not here right now and we don't know why

we feel how we feel inside. It may seem a little crazy,

pretty baby, but I promise mama's gon' be alright.