The following poem, written by Laura Knapcik, the daughter of a chicago Police officer whose partner was Killed in the line of duty in 1986, it  appeared in syndicated columnist Bob Greenes column in the Daily Journal on June 3 1988. The poem is dedicated, "To all the cops in the world who have daughters who love them with all their hearts and especially my Dad"
THE ULTIMATE COP
 
 
A DAUGHTER'S LETTER FROM THE HEART 
 

HE PICKED ME UP FROM SCHOOL, 
HIS EXCITEMENT HE  COULDN'T HOLD BACK. 
HE  SHARED WITH ME HIS ENTHUSIASM 
OF OUR CITY'S POWER ATTACK. 
TONIGHT THERE WAS TO BE A DRUG BUST 
SOMEWHERE IN AN EMPTY LOT. 
MY DAD WOULD BUST THE DEALER 
 AND BECOME THE ULTIMATE COP. 
HE DROPPED ME OFF AT HOME, 
HE KISSED ME AND HELD ME TIGHT. 
HE SAID GOODBYE AND AS HE DROVE OFF 
HE SAID, "SAY A PRAYER FOR ME TONIGHT." 
AT HOME I WENT ON AS USUAL 
WAITING TO HEAR FROM DAD, 
HOPING HE MADE THE BUST, 
HOPING HE NAILED THEM BAD. 
 
LATE AT NIGHT I WATCHED THE NEWS, 
ANXIOUS TO HEAR THE OUTCOME. 
WHEN THE NEWSMAN READ HIS NEWS 
I FELT MY HEART TURN NUMB. 
THE MAJESTIC STERN-LOOKING NEWSMAN 
ANNOUNCED WITH A VOICE LIKE THUNDER. 
AS MY EYES FILLED WITH TEARS I SAID TO MYSELF, 
"OH,WHY COULDN'T DAD BE A PLUMBER?" 
I BEGAN TO SCREAM AT THE TOP OF MY LUNGS, 
FILLED WITH SADNESS AND RAGE. 
I REALIZED THEN THAT BEING A COP 
WAS MORE THAN AN ACT ON A STAGE. 
MY MOM AWOKE WITH THE SOUNDS OF MY SCREAMS, 
RUNNING IN FEAR FOR ME. 
BEFORE SHE COULD ASK SHE SAW MY DAD'S 
BODY LYING ON THE GROUND ON TV. 
SHE FELL DOWN ON THE COUCH 
AND GASPED FOR A BREATH. 
SHE JUST COULDN'T CRY-- 
 
SHE WAS SCARED TO DEATH. 
I WAS RUNNING LIKE CRAZY, 
THROWING THINGS ALL AROUND, 
UNTIL MY MOTHER GOT UP 
AND TACKLED ME DOWN. 
I COULDN'T STOP SHAKING 
I WAS NERVOUS AND SCARED. 
I YEARNED FOR MY DADDY, 
AND WITH THAT THOUGHT I BLARED: 
OH DADDY, OH DADDY 
WHERE ARE YOU NOW? 
I FEEL SO SCARED AND LONELY, 
PLEASE SHOW ME HOW... 
"TO HAVE FAITH IN GOD 
AND IN YOUR WILL TO LIVE, 
SHOW ME A SIGN THAT YOUR LIFE 
YOU'LL NOT GIVE. 
DADDY, MY DADDY, 
CAN YOU HEAR ME CRY?" 
OH GOD, I NEED MY DADDY, 
PLEASE DON'T LET HIM DIE. 		  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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