Happy Halloween- When comes a stranger..

We must listen to the whispered. Maybe someone is telling us. Please walk the proper path.

When comes a stranger

A Poem by Coyote Poetry

 Death comes when she desired. 

                             Death come when he desired.

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 backward. 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 in her eyes for me. 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 and I didn’t care. I looked at the rock in the front of me. 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 stinks  of blood, s**t 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. I went to the tavern and drank a beer. I saw the police by the sea. My friends had called the police and they were waiting for me. I went to them and the police called off the 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 back 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

Thank you for reading.

Reviews

[Sami Khalil]

A powerful story told on Halloween 🎃 night reminiscent of the hard, unjust past of a brave, honorable veteran. Sad events can shape our life good or bad. Sorry to hear about your brothers. May you find solace and peace. At least you are expressing your grief in sharing.
You write marvelously.

[Coyote Poetry]

Took years to grasp. My decision to rejoin the Army in 1991. Saved my life. We need to travel, have fun and test life. I did. Thank you Sami for reading and the comment.

[Sami Khalil]

Wow! All wonderful 👏. You are welcome 😊.

[Zoe Richardson]

This poem kinda makes me glad I spent all my Halloween nights trick or treating or handing out candy to those who did. The death of loved ones can lock you in chains or set you free from them. The choice is yours.

[Coyote Poetry]

I did the same. I took my grandchildren trick and treating. Once. I tested life. Not so much now. I got old dear Zoe. I would like to suicide board the big Winter January Pacific storm one more time. Thank you for reading and the comment.

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

A harrowing story with a strong message. I think of the Stephen King quote in The Shawshank Redemption when one of the characters said “Get busy living or get busy dying.” Those words have always stayed with me because they are so true. This piece of fine writing exemplifies those words. Nice work CP

[Coyote Poetry]

I love Stephen Kings stories. So many great quotes in his movies and his books. My favorite one. "If you live in sin, you will die in sin." Thank you Carlos for reading and the comment.

[Dennis Wolf]

This is a wonderfully creepy experience.


This old song comes to mind

https://youtu.be/3659fTXvFts

[Coyote Poetry]

Great song. Iron Maiden, always damn good Dennis Wolf. Thank you for reading and the comment. I am listening to the song now.

[Dennis Wolf]

Yeah, maiden rules.