I can still remember
Stories my father told,
Of pirates and their treasures,
And hero’s, strong and bold.

I’d say a prayer each night,
Asking God for a treasure,
Wealth beyond my wildest dreams,
Full of earthly pleasure.

That’s all I thought about,
That priceless possession.
At night I dreamed of treasure,
It became an obsession.

When I went to college,
A goal was set for me.
I would learn all I needed,
Through archaeology.

I had just one problem,
A minor distraction.
Concerning the girl next door,
We had an attraction.

I hoped she’d understand,
I had no time for pleasure.
The only thing on my mind
Was finding my treasure.

She finally quit trying
And she met someone new,
They were married in the spring,
From there the time just flew.

I searched for my treasure,
Buried deep in the Earth.
I uncovered lost cities,
And things of priceless worth.

I found many artifacts
And achieved every goal.
But nothing could satisfy
The aching in my soul.

I wondered why that was,
I was living my dreams.
But the treasure that I seek,
Is more than what it seems.

And then one Christmas Eve,
God opened up my eyes.
I’d gone home to see my folks,
And then to my surprise,

A voice out of the past,
Called my name from next door.
She didn’t seem much different,
From the girl I knew before.

Next I met her husband,
Her daughter and her son.
I thought, as we were talking,
How much I’d like to run.

I finally understood,
What was missing in my life.
As I laughed with his children,
And I spoke to his wife.

We talked about my work,
And the things I’d achieved.
In pursuit of childhood dreams,
And illusions once believed.

Yet she was right next door,
Though I was too blind to see.
How could I miss the treasure,
That was right in front of me?

So I said my goodbyes,
To the richest man I know.
And I thought about the choice,
I had made so long ago.

I stood there reflecting,
On all the things I’d planned.
The years searching for riches,
I’d spent digging in the sand.

And it was all eclipsed
By that one memory.
Of the day she realized,
She’d never be with me.

The day she walked away,
A moment without measure,
Was the day my dream ended,
The day I lost my treasure.

Deep inside I realized
With each artifact I found,
Sometimes the greatest treasures,
Aren’t buried in the ground.

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