Return To Lost Fatherland

Return To Lost Fatherland
© Surazeus
2024 04 30

Floating in deep purple calm of the sea, 
after wild waves stirred by turbulent winds 
capsized fragile bark of his zealous soul, 
Faunus gazes entranced at golden eye 
that shimmers bright with silent gleam of faith, 
then thrashes arms to swim up from dark deep. 

Gasping for air of the infinite sky 
with desperate purpose to reach solid ground, 
Faunus swims over wind-frothed waves of hope 
with frantic intention to evade death, 
that grabs his legs with cold demonic hands, 
by leaping like the dolphin with each breath. 

Stumbling onto broad beach of shifting sand 
that glistens under cliffs of tangled vines 
while gasping with laborious breath of despair, 
Faunus pauses on shore of the misty isle 
where plovers skitter past turtles and crabs, 
and gazes back at the turbulent sea.  

Falling to his knees as he coughs seawater 
and pulls strands of seaweed tangling his hair, 
Faunus stares bleakly at the hungry sea 
and shudders with horror at memory 
of almost drowning from shipwreck of fear, 
amazed he survived stark passage in hell. 

Soaring up high on contemplative wings 
with gulls that glide above dark heavy world, 
Faunus recalls with sharp nostalgic pain 
garden of fruit trees with finches and deer, 
where he played chase with friends in evening dusk, 
then ate fruit while bards sang heroic tales. 

Vowing to return to lost Fatherland 
after years fighting harsh wars far from home, 
Faunus lurches to his feet with fierce grunt, 
then hobbles slowly across the waste land, 
trudging over the roadless plain of faith 
toward vision of fruit groves in paradise. 

Kneeling on roadless plain cracked by mute heat 
in dizzy bewilderment of frustration, 
Faunus chats with three skulls on jagged rock, 
Achilles, Odysseus, and Aeneas, 
who sing enchanting melodies of joy 
that encourage him to continue on. 

Stumbling into grove of bare apple trees 
to kneel by almost-empty pool of tears, 
Faunus stares numb at his wife Marica 
who hugs him tight and gives him juice to drink, 
then calls their son Latinus who stands shyly 
as wild bearded man grasps his hand and cries.