The Tiki Room (Remnant)

Brown wood, long-bladed knife, the one with the pearl-yellow handle. Dad's own, from the produce market, San Diego, maybe 1925. "Do you have a picture of your parents?" Nathaniel, yesterday, in youthful innocence--no more than a trip to Santa Cruz... Years ago: Peter's room--the mahagony desk, small and compact, three drawers on the right--each with a layer of the past. The letter from Count Basie, for instance--in his own hand, on tan stationary, with risqué printed drawings. Dave Brubeck, too--typed out, single spaced, on three sheets of onionskin... Answers to questions--even the questions unasked. Then the tiki, just below--an image of a god? More a childhood dream--that carved shape--like an image of the rest of one's life. "The downwind ama...", under sail, across the wide Pacific...