Poems and Letters from Deadbeat Daddy

Following a seven-plus year separation from his daughters, Laura and Kristina, Robert H. Burke shares poems and letters he wrote to them, along with his story of that separation. While conveying his inner-most spirit to Laura and Kristina, he shares the circumstances surrounding each entry.


Burke’s memoir is a proclamation of his profound love for his daughters, and a clarion call for complete reform of the family court system, which should always hold paramount the best interests of the children. Along with heartfelt messages to his daughters, his story speaks to others who have ventured through divorce and painful child custody battles, offering allegiance and comfort to all parents who have been separated from their children, while stressing that the love for a child never diminishes, despite the absence of regular personal contact.



While married, Burke was happiest at the birth of their first child, Laura. His career was escalating, promising security for him and his family. A second child and accompanying happiness followed, but changes in their lives prompted an end to the marriage. Poems and Letters from Deadbeat Daddy reveals a man’s plight during an extended separation from his children and his hopes for their future.