The Treasure Hunt

The Treasure Hunt 9/9/2011

The trees bear fruit

And it has ripened in time

Heavy with juice

And ready to fall.

And what was once

Shall be again

And all the treasure

Once lost

Shall live again

In heaven and on earth.

Even death has a memory

And even in the smoking ruins

You can find pieces of the past

The charred pieces that make you cry

As they are carried upwards

And in the ashes fly.

I too have seen

And I too have known

And but for the smallest of chances

I too would smile.

I remember all my treasure

But not the kind you might think

Because it is not about the money

And it’s not about my name.

It’s not about how it looks

Because I never tired to take

And I never tried to win

For all I wanted was to save

What could not be won

And could not be possessed.

I hung on every single word

And I woke up with anticipation

Every single day

Because there was hope in the air

And I was loved.

If I had only known

Just how precious life could be

There is so much I would have done

And so much I would have saved.

But sometimes life is wasted

On the young and the foolish

And we squander the greatest of treasures

Out of stupidity

And useless angst.

Like a sheep to the slaughter

We follow our nose to death

Never looking up

And never looking ahead.

I polished my shoes

And I longed for the day

Trading e-mails with friends

And long leisurely lunches.

But I was not ready

Because I did not know

And words don’t mean a thing

Until you have lived

And suffered them through.

I could cry

But it does no good

And I could walk

But each step is painful.

I was lucky

And the words haunt my dreams

Because I knew and tried to save

What could not be saved.

We all seek comfort and safety

But there is no help for the lonely

And no dreams for the poor

Nothing but agony

And nothing but grief.

I would trade all my treasure

For a pearl of great value

But it is wasted upon the foolish

Who only see the food.

They only live

From the outside in

Because inside they are empty

Without a conscience or a soul.

Simple, shallow, dumb and dead

Manipulative and cruel

They listen just to please

And give just to steal.

They look for a rich harvest

But care nothing for the vine

Because all they want is appearance

And care nothing for the cost.

They think no one has noticed

And they cover all their tracks

But although their harvest ripens

It shall die all at once.

You can wash the dirt off your face

But it won’t change a thing

Because if there is no food in the fridge

And no gas in the car

Then no matter how much you try

You won’t get very far.

We are just fumbling in the dark

Never knowing what to do

And never knowing what to say

Spending our lives treading water

Further and further down the river.

Water passes under the bridge

But I can still see the looks of horror

As people watch all they loved

Carried away and disappear.

There is nothing quite as tragic

Than those who must watch

And be reminded every day

Everything that they had

And everything that they lost.

Everything takes time

And even poison

Doesn’t kill instantly

Working its way through the system

To take our breath away.

The sentence has been delivered

And the time for change is over

And those close will also suffer

Because they knew

And did not act.

You can call once

Or you can call a thousand times

But you will get what is coming

And will wither on the vine.

An honest farmer

Can lose his harvest

And have nothing left

But evil men shall have no warning

When everything dies at once.

Looks are deceiving

And people try very hard

But if they ignore what’s inside

Then the truth will devour them alive.

They can talk

And they can think

By I have been a lot of places

And I have heard it all before.

They have never had

A dark night of the soul

And they have never stared

Into the setting sun.

They have never held the dying

And they have never faced the truth

The kind that grabs you

And just won’t let go.

They have not suffered through

The hardship that tests your strength

Or made the tough choices

And stood the against the consequences

The whole way through.

It is done

And it is finished

Because the good die only once

And then live forever.

But men of lies and cruelty

Shall suffer more than me

Because the end has only begun

And only the good are forgiven.

Sliding back is effortless

And giving up is easy

And so many have died

Without every really knowing

Exactly who they were.

They spent their time

Trying on other people’s lives

And wearing other peoples masks

Giving in

And giving up.

If I lose

And if I die

I shall bear the burden

And finish with honor.

For better it is

To lose the world

Than to lose your soul

For a few pieces of gold.