My Father's Eyes

I took a walk with my father, We went some miles and stopped, He looked up at the sky, I knew it was yet another tale, He told me to look up, What does he have to say this time? A question that resounded in me, Beyond us are the unseen, Beyond us are the spirits of the night, Beyond us is a sacred alignment, What you see is just a veil, He turned to look at me, I could see the depth in his eyes, I could see the deluge coming from his soul, Son, you can’t just live life in the terrestrial, Son, you can’t just open the door with dimmed eyes, It’s the unseen that paints the portrait, It’s the unseen that blotches the portrait, It’s the unseen that sculpts the day, We only add our colours, Our walk back home was a tranquil stream. I still take a walk with my father, In reverie and quietness, we go on a walk, In the solace of time, we talk, I'm no more of dimmed sight, I've seen the piercing light, I know how the drum beats sound, Those that come from the hollow of the night, I know they're creatures that bow the Iroko tree, I know they're archers that target the stars, I know they're lions crouching in their lairs, I know they're warriors that bear the shield, I know I can now see with my father’s eyes. September 19, 2023.