Beyond Thirty

In my reckless youth great tales I read

Of the lands beyond the 30th parallel.

Of warriors and kings and wizards long dead

And of the eternal battle between heaven and hell.

I climbed every tier, swung through every forest

Clinging tightly to the vines of imagination.

Towering cities of silver, of gold and of amethyst

And on the heels of Lastrade to mysterious destination.

I survived the holocaust, in my ship from Krypton

My father taught me the tongue of the great apes

I licked frosting from the bowl at my mothers apron.

I flew to the stars on wings of sorcerers magic capes!

I've been Gulliver and Kickaha and Balthus and Enoch

And Merlin and Francis Burton and Korak the Killer

An immortal holy warrior reborn in every epoch.

A Vulcan at the helm and an Ishmael at the tiller!