In the warm desert night
The lights shimmer and dazzle,
A vast pirate�s treasure
Of topaz and rubies
And diamonds and emeralds.
The lights promise riches
And quicken the pulses
Of the hopeful and the curious
Who stream toward the doorways
Of each brightly-lit paradise.
The real pirate�s treasure
Is not precious stones.
It�s cash, VISA, and MasterCard
Brought to the desert
By the gambler, the tourist,
The dreamer, and the poet.
Mary [Ekholm] Francis
(c) 1999