Surprise Of The Dead

Surprise Of The Dead
© Surazeus
2024 10 28

Undying flowers bloom from cement cracks 
with inspiration of the open book 
that traps his heart in story of the prince 
who works as mechanic at the garage 
fixing broken engines of city cars, 
then goes fishing on the lake at sunset. 

When he walks around streets of the small town 
he likes to narrate his life to himself 
with snarky comments about his despair 
that always takes him to the country bar 
where he drinks and thinks about the cute girl 
who married the banker with the fast car. 

His ancestor twelve generations back 
was heir to castle on the Scotland coast, 
but his father died at Culloden Field 
so he sailed on a day over the sea 
with Bonnie Prince Charlie to Isle of Skye 
where he climbed to the peak of Sgurr Biorach. 

Spreading wings he received from Icarus, 
the young prince flew over the swirling sea 
to dwell in the North Carolina hills 
where he built big log cabin in the woods 
to raise eight kids with his Catawba wife 
who knew how to shoot a hawk from the sky. 

Twelve generations of tall Crawford men 
have rambled in these Appalachian hills, 
running with wolves in wild forests of crows, 
but he wants to leave this sad life behind 
and travel to distant lands to explore 
rugged valleys where angels fear to tread. 

Finding wings of Icarus in old chest 
in attic of the cabin full of ghosts, 
he hooks them to his shoulders with brass clasps, 
flaps them a few times to shake out the dust, 
then soars high up into the great wide open 
where signless roads of hope go anywhere. 

Gliding over the Rocky Mountain range, 
while searching for the secret key of change, 
he wonders if he should now change his name, 
then lands in town on the Oregon coast 
where he gives his heart to the pretty ghost, 
and falls asleep in the stale hotel room. 

Waking at dawn from surreal dreams of doom, 
he eats sausage egg muffin and hot coffee, 
strolls on the gold beach where waves sparkle blue, 
and kneels by the mossy stone of lost faith 
where the key of truth glitters in soft sand, 
but stands with sudden surprise of the dead.