Carthago Est Delenda

To Carthage then I came

As a young boy lost in the promise of

The steady beating heart

Of the metropolis

But I spent so long beneath

The dim street lighting that

I strained my eyes and

Lost the finesse of my fine hand-writing

It's not like I need it these days

My letters home have been getting shorter

I can't concentrate if

I can't secure a source of clean water

But there's never a drop to drink

In these concrete furrows

My anger is Vesuvius casting its shadow

I spent so long walking across bridges

Failing to appreciate

The sweating rivers flow escaping

Leaving the city streets

Tinderbox-dry and oh-so-tempting

My fatigue is San Andreas

Shuddering slow

I mark my lintel with bloodstains

And dream of suburbs up in flames

Every evening when I arrive

Back at home

And finally lock my front door

Carthago Est Delenda

And the pavements are

Beaches once more

In the morning when my alarm wakes me

The concrete is back in its place

As I trudge through the streets

At the break of day

It's the river that calls me away

The river flows outside of town

Away from dirt and away from crowds

And if I could follow it to the sea

I'd wash the sweat right off of me

So break my legs and weigh me down

Throw me in, but I won't drown

I'll float away, go down the stream

The river leads outside the city