South Padre Island

Father’s Day And though we’re at the beachhe’s not sitting sleeping not bearing the sunand forgetting how at work each day it searshis face adds a layer of darkness he no longertries to understand No today minus the trunksmy father’s dressed like he’s about to mowthe lawn but instead of a trimmer he wieldslike a soldier a metal detector ready to scanthe sand find mines I think until he says eitherto himself or me Treasure not a wordI thought he knew in English but one that fits his moodand prompts him to begin his searchto wander the shore stop and dig through the moundsof algae and shells pull out pieces of plasticor something broken or torn: a rope a necklace a fishwith tatters of meat and scales still on itbut rotted enough for my father to see it for a momentas a creature not yet discovered And as hetosses it moves on and ambles farther off I believe that afterdecades in this country and of only affordingvacations to the beach he deserves to do what he wantsto find treasure good enough to unearth keep