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.

[poetdoug]

"Maybe better to live and try to dodge death for awhile."
I like the story poem. Kept our interest throughout it, that's for sure.
Great Hallo Ween week poetry. Well Done.

[Coyote Poetry]

Thank you Doug for reading and the comment.

[Abdul Aziz]

The wounds your poem expresses are real, and the emotions are brought out with your customary prowess. The reader really feels the emotions the writer hints at. The ending provides us with a sense of making the right decision and deciding to fight it out in life. Bravo.

[Coyote Poetry]

You are correct. Must fight to see the daylight of hope and the new day. Thank you for reading and the comment.

[Renée]

Coyote I admire how you share your wisdom in life so creatively .. your descriptions were vivid , and though you did not mention them..for some reason.. I felt your elders watching over you in this piece ..
Sort of Halloween...but much richer than any treat could be obtained..this is wisdom

[Coyote Poetry]

Thank you Renee for reading and the kind words. Our elders are watching us and whisper to us. We will be okay when overtook by life.

[Renée]

Yes they do... always a pleasure to read your work ( :

[Sheila Kline]

You have taken many facets of your life and woven this wonderful tale for Halloween! Your descriptions of the events and characters are absolutely mesmerizing and the ending is perfect!! This is a story as only "Coyote Poetry" could tell it!!
I really like this my friend!!

[Coyote Poetry]

Thank you Sheila. I do believe in Angels and demons. I have met both. Sometime we can open part of mind that need to stay closed.

[Sheila Kline]

I totally agree!!! I have been caught in the cross fires a few times too many!!

[Chloe..Across the Unive..]

A sad tale but a good ending as the drink does bring death. We live, we learn.
So many battles we face within our lives very easy to give up for many.We have to fight because
life is beautiful and so is your story.

Chloe

[Coyote Poetry]

Thank you Chloe. I was lucky. Army allowed me to travel and learn. A lot of unknown in this world.

[Chloe..Across the Universe]

You are welcome was my pleasure to read, you have much wisdom and love to share. Thank you. ( glad you were lucky )

[MsJewel]

You described the main character and his emotional struggle with life and death very well. This reminded me of a good friend who struggled with nightmares after returning from Iraq - He had a bit of a death wish as does your character.

There are a few grammar issues that need attention, but overall this is an excellent character study. Very well done!
:) Julie

[Coyote Poetry]

Thank you. A quick story I wrote today. Years ago I danced on the edge. I was saved by a kind woman and a lot of kids. Showed me. You must give to receive.

[Wolfwind]

I'm not sure if the piece is suppose to be suspensful or scary or anything. As it was a halloween type of piece per your Author's Note, i'm thinking it came across more like a musing and philosphical weave of words. Something that would make one think more in depthly about what they saw in the writing. At least that's how it spoke to me.

You've got some grammar issues in there. The tense changes back and forth at times. I noticed a couple of run on sentences. While this is poetry and not a story per-say, I would still use the standard process for starting a new line, when someone new is speaking. There were a few other small typos, but that was it. Normally, I don't pick on the grammer, but in this case, it did take away from the flow of the piece.

I though the voices of the characters that you created here were done well. I could feel myself hearing their tone and inflection. Your description was done nicely, so they came out solidly in the mind.

Overall. I think you penned a good little tale that takes one on a small and somewhat deeply mental journey in reflection of one's beliefs of life and death. I liked the last line, for it came across as almost a humorous way. As if the main character was smirking when he said it.

Nice ink!
Aaron - Wolfwind

[Coyote Poetry]

Thank you Aaron. Someone requested a Halloween poem. This came out. I went elsewhere. I appreciate the help. Thank you.