When comes a stranger

Death comes when she desired.

                             Death come when he desires.

I was last year man. I had it all. Beautiful house and a great job.
A hot girlfriend with clear blue eyes and legs as long as Texas highway 35.
Two dead brothers I had to put into lonely graves because of suicide turned my world around.
I started drinking and create separation from everyone.
I learned I wasted 32 years on meaningless things.

The war started in 1991.
I joined and volunteered for Iraq. I didn't believe in suicide.
Better to allow a bullet to find you and fix your problems.
I volunteered for every dangerous mission. I stood on the Iraq border.
The war ended quickly and I was yesterday man waiting for nothing.
I wrote poetry of hell and heaven.

No-one was allowed in.
Slow death is hard. Need to destroy the body and the mind.
I arrived in Philly airport and I went to the lounge and drank.
A dark hair beauty sat with me. She gave me a kind smile and told me.
"Soldier, you can't drink the pain away. Nothing as sad as to watch a man rushing toward
death. Don't rush death. He will find you."

I looked into  her brown eyes. I saw too much pity and sadness. I told her. "Sometime death is sweeter than
life. Sometime life gives you s**t and we are overfilled with bullshit. It don't matter anyway young lady."
She got close to me and whispered. " Death will come one day. When comes a stranger with the face of death. She will take everything you would do and you will be forgotten."  I asked her who she was and I looked up and saw  the bartender looking at me with fear. I realized I was alone.

I was stationed in California. Fort Ord, California. I fell into drinking and  I loved the coastline. I started falling deep into writing, poetry reading and to be near the sea.  I went downtown with friends. Was a big storm this night. Halloween night was cool in Monterey. Everybody was loose and free. I started drinking early. Three years ago. Second brother killed himself in late October.

My friend were heading to Pacific Grove. I told them I was going to take the short cut. They tried to stop me. I had no fear of dying. I have been free climbing and suicide boarding the sea. Death wasn't ready for me. The short cut was crossing the rocks and under the pier. The waves were 20 feet high. It was two miles of dancing on wet rocks and facing the cold hearten sea. I got half way. The waves were wild and crazy. I slipped a few times. I didn't care. I looked on a rock. I saw a person waiting. I went to the person.

I saw the brown hair beauty. She sat watching the powerful storm of October. She told me to sit down. I asked what are you doing here?  She smiled and told me. "When comes a stranger you best be prepared." She held my hands and I was in a different place. The place stink  of blood and guts. I saw wandering people. I followed them to a place with a old sign. "Purgatory Inn."  I went in and I  saw men and woman drinking and talking. An old man with cold and lonely eyes told me to sit and play a game of chess. He smiled and told me. "Men who don't dream, don't believe in nothing and was cold and heartless will not come here. Purgatory Inn is for the men who believed in nothing but tried to do some good. He reached over and touched my hands. I was tossed into the pits of piss and s**t. I saw demons dancing on bodies screaming and reaching out to no-one. The demons looked at me. They told me. "We are waiting for you. The pit of hell always have room for foolish men."

I awoke and the old man is smiling. He smiled and whispered. One more place my friend. He touched my hands again. I awoke on top of bodies barely moving. I saw broken necks and bloody bodies. I heard cries of regret and pain. I saw the demons laughing and smiling. I saw miles of death. All were barely alive. The bright eyes demon came close. He whispered. In the valley of suicide. You will learn death till heaven and hell become one."

I awoke and I saw the brown eyes beauty. I asked who she was and what she wanted?  She smiled and told me.
"Next step when comes a stranger. You will come with me. Death give a favor rarely. You have a decision to make. Walk the better path or you will dance with the Devil. The demons are waiting for foolish men. Wasted life and bad decisions can lead you to a early death. Hell is not pretty. No kindness in hell."

I left the stranger upon the rocks. I slowly climb to the Pacific Grove cliffs. My friends have the police waiting for me. They called out a search for me. The police took my name and told me. We will remember you dumb-a*s.
My friends asked did I want to go to the tavern? I told them. Not tonight. I had enough excitement tonight. I walked to the bus stop and decided. Maybe better to live and tried to dodge death for a while. It was a wild Halloween night.
                                      Coyote

Author's Note

Sort of a Halloween poem.

Reviews

[Nativespirit]

Sort of, maybe. My book of days was written long before I was born, and I think, having lived so many years trying to dodge and travelling my own path, that it still reads now as it did then. It's better to smile and follow the trail already laid out. It might be one I did not chose, and I have been asked to carry burdens I did not want, but in the end, I found myself where I needed to be. Thanks for your words.

[Coyote Poetry]

Thank you for reading and the comment. I will return in four days and read your work. I begin my 55 hours in 4 days. Good part. I get four days off to read and write after.

[The Chosen Poet]

Although It was tragic at the beginning , I took my time and sink on the depth of this piece, very sad. Thanks for sharing
Sean

[Coyote Poetry]

Thank you for reading and the good comment. I did some wild things in my young days. A lot of unknown things in this world. We must be careful for what we wish for.

[Raymond Federle]

A very good read. I enjoyed it.

[Coyote Poetry]

Thank you for reading and the comment.

[Dye]

What an interesting story that I am happy to have taken the time to read. A lot of depth within it. I can see what you mean with your author's notes. "Sort of a Halloween Poem", a little bit, yes, death and horror, some realistic sadness behind it however. Thank you for sharing.

[Coyote Poetry]

I tell people. Be careful what you do and say. Never know who is the person next to you. I was lucky. I changed my life four times. Each time for better and worst. Most of the story is true. We are warned to slow down before it is too late by kind voices. Thank you for reading and the comment.

[Dhaye]

Sad but a little bit scary. I have watched movies like that wherein someone is talking to a stranger who happens to be a ghost, angel, or something like that.

But what caught my attention was that story about war. It is never ending story of gloom for me.

[Coyote Poetry]

Men go to war for many reasons. I was lucky. I met kind people in California. They led me to a good place. Thank you for reading and the comment.

[Dhaye]

You're welcome.

[Dark Tower]

Very well written piece. Different and interesting to read

[Jeannear]

I love this poem very interesting

[Tom]

A spooky one for halloween !

The dark eyed lady was a kind of guardian angel, hope she still watches out for you Coyote !

& have a happy halloween !

[MOON]

Heartfelt right , introspection and the horror of death made plain before your eyes.

[Coyote Poetry]

Thank you Moon for reading and the comment. I do appreciate.

[Rachelle]

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder.... :(
Sadness.

[Coyote Poetry]

I survived. Can't blame for all things. I lost two brothers to suicide. I decided I needed to live and I did. Sometime we need to raise can to know what we need. After I ran out of things to do. I raised four kids and I'm okay? Thank you for reading and the comment.

[Rachelle]

Apologies, sir. I thought that this was fictional. Didn't the government do anything for soldiers coming from battle? Some sort of decompression? My cousin joined the US Navy when American forces still used Subic. He served as a paramedic in Kuwait and I think, in Afghanistan. His mode of catharsis was to raise fancy chicken breeds. At any rate, I wish you all the best, sir. May you be the strength that others lack. Luceat lux! Let your light shine!

[Rachelle]

Good day, sir! I cannot forget what you wrote. It bothers me. Is it possible that all these things happened to you because Life is preparing you for something big? Is there a possibility that, perhaps, things were allowed to happen in preparation for you to help other people? I cannot fathom the anguish. My life has been sheltered and privileged hence perhaps, the spirit has not been annealed and burnished to the extent that yours has been. I am but a lump of coal but in your case, the stress and duress has you on your way to becoming a diamond. And you know how diamonds are - after all the stress, they still have to be cut and polished before their true beauty can be known. Think about it, sir, maybe your diamond is meant to be a beacon for others.