And then
just sitting there
in the basement of my favorite haunt
is the completion of a childhood quest,
a book in a series I could not find for years
back when I was young.

What was it doing down there?
Who had abandoned this missing link,
Part Four of a seven-part cycle,
along with so many of its siblings
treasured volumes from my favorite author
of so many years ago?
Who was haunting me
and providing me these long ago prizes
in the here-and-now?

I need to streamline my life
and I already have a copy of the glorious tome
but I feel I must protect these other books
and take them to the confines of my castle
where I can hold them
along with all my other dusty gifts.

Surely I must uncover who they came from
and realize why they should be so devalued
as to be put out in the basement.
Someone shares my history
but is prepared to completely disregard it.
So many questions.
So much to read into
all regarding a book
I haven’t read in years.