My Father's Treasure

This had been my father’s town.
We gathered together
For an evening of fire.

The gathering was habit, not discipline.
We never traveled to imposing Africa
Our mysterious seductions
Had always been bound to the base of our tiny mountain.

My past had not always been the dictator
Of my present.
Tireless searching in chemicals & blood
Had left me gutted, hushed & lonely.

The jackals encourage me,
Like the sea calls to doomed sailors –
Forget the women that loved you,
Forget the child that needed you,
Remember only a reason for adventure!
Squander your wisdom,
Regret will be weightless.

We didn’t need the rape or bloodshed
Of older magicks.
Self-exploration had always been
The most devoted sacrifice.

I dream of my father’s discovery.
Sitting quietly,
Possessed,
Like the gargoyle
On the flat roof of a warehouse
He called home.