Two Guitars..

I need the sea, I need a dark eyes Gypsy gal and some strong whiskey.

Two Guitars..

Was a warm May-day in Monterey and the sea was wild tonight.

Once loud man, now quiet man drank his whiskey alone and he prayed for nothing more,

nothing less.

Once he was the laughing man, the smiling man.

He drank the whiskey from the  bottle and he told the stars.

My last friend, the soldier whiskey, the Black Velvet.

He laughed at his-self and he watched the beautiful Pacific dance for him.

He heard laughter and he saw a group of people.

Five dark hair women and three large dark skin men.

They were laughing and talking loud.

They brought food and a lot of drink to the sea.

They wandered pass me and one of the men saw me sitting alone.

He came to me. He asked me. Hey Soldier, the moon is a half moon, the liars moon.

No-one should drink alone with the liar's moon above. Join us and we can drink, eat and dance.

I told him, I was fine and he took my hands and he told me.

It is a Gypsy night my new friend and I followed him to the group gathered together near the sea.

He told his name was Roberto and he shook my hand and I told him, my name is Johnnie.

He told me, we live in-land and we come to the sea to play music and to dance.

The sea allowed us sing loud and dance with her.

He introduced me to the ladies. Elena, my Gypsy wife and Susana, my baby sister. The pretty one in the colorful

dress is Sarah and sitting by the food is Maria. The loco Gypsy girl dancing with the sea. She is our dancing beauty name

Catherine. The man drinking the beer is Charley and Peter is going to Catherine to dance. I told them. A pleasure to meet you and I opened my back-pack. I handed to Susana, two bottles of tequila and I handed two bottle of Black velvet to Roberto.

He laughed at me and he told Sarah. A man of your dreams. Drink alone the whiskey and the tequila in bounty. He could

be of Gypsy blood? I told him, I was Michigan born and Ojibwa/Mexican. Catherine and Sarah came to me. Sarah touched

my face and she stared into my eyes. She took my right hand and she read my palm. Sarah told Catherine. This man

was a bad one. Now he seek death and he won't find death. Only the good die young Johnnie. Tonight we make you

a brother. Good drink, good food, the sea and dancing. You will learn to tell death. F**k you, not tonight.

We drank the tequila first, passing the bottle till it was empty and then Charley/Peter found their guitars. Beautiful dancing Catherine told Peter. Tonight is a good night. Johnnie, what song, do you need? I told her. Two guitars. She smiled and she came to me. Kissed my face-cheeks. She whispered to me. I knew you were of Gypsy blood.

Charley/Peter begin to play the song and everyone started to laugh and to move. Elena danced with Roberto and Sarah came to me. Johnnie, it is the midnight hours and remember, never waste a moment. Death is always waiting for us to give up.

Tonight I teach you to love. We will dance for the moon, we will try to touch the stars and I will make you laugh.

I got up and we danced to the amazing song. Charley/Peter played many song for us. We were joined by Maria, Susana and Catherine. I went and I got the whiskey. I gave one bottle to Charley/Peter and we passed the Black Velvet as we danced.

We finished the whiskey and after the dancing, was done. We sat together near the sea. Eating fruit and bread. Roberto

told me. Every half-moon, every liar's moon. We come to the sea. I hope to see you again. I hope you are feeling better.

Never good to be alone and here is my address and my phone number, if you need something. Sarah and Catherine had adopted you. You were Gypsy born and now you have a family. I told him, thank you.

I walked to their truck and the five women lined up. Each one, gave me a soft kiss and Sarah whispered. Celebrate life

and be fearless. Dead men, die alone. Hell-bound life need laughter, dance and song. Don't listen to the naysayers. Roberto and Peter/Charley took my hands and they told me. Thank you for the whiskey and the tequila. And we like the rum too.

I laughed and I thank them. I watched them drive away and I told the morning sun. Thank you for the good night and the lesson. We can't die. We must tell death to f**k-off.

Dancing Coyote

Author's Note

Thank you for reading.

Reviews

[emmajoy]

What fine and inspiring writing, John. The many people you've met in your life surely made part made you the man you are,: awise grandfather now with a free spirit! Your gypsy friends, brothers of heart, spirit, music and moon, affection and space were the friends we should pray for They shared without asking for reward or the trappings of gratitude. How wonderfully they saw their world and all it contained - freedom, the feeling of never being alone- and, shared it with you too. Friendship isn't about popularity or ambition, wanting to be top dog or otherwise but - just being.. spirit with a heart sans cynicism or intolerance. How wonderfully blessed you were.
PS Your video is oh so right!

[Coyote Poetry]

Thank you dear Emma. We need many Gypsies night. Keep us young my dear friend.

[Red Brick Keshner]

Sometimes all we need is to forget and at others to remember just the slightest bit... 2 guitars or 2 violins. And once we've got the rhythm we then get the rhyme.

[Coyote Poetry]

I love the violin too. The prettiest sound create by the violin. Thank you dear friend for reading and the comment. I do appreciate.

[Pete]

you've uncorked a real eye opener here. i can hear the tambourines. philosophical write. guess there's something to be said for the gypsy way of life - after all, they move about freely, never dropping anchor anywhere thus they are not tied down - always free to pick up and leave, reminds me of the old saying, "eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die." ... :)

[Coyote Poetry]

I agree Pete. A Gypsy life is a good one. I had for 12 years. Now I am weight down by life necessary. Thank you for reading and the comment.

[Pete]

the trappings of life - they own us not we them. i've learned that less is more ... :)

[Coyote Poetry]

I agree Pete. Easy to be weighed down.

[~Sarah~ Idríel T..]

The song, the fire, the life. All in one poem. Greatly written.

[Coyote Poetry]

Thank you dear Sarah for reading and the comment. I need a year near the sea.

[Chris Shaw]

What good company you had when you reached rock bottom. How they embraced you. I loved the ambience in this write, the sea and moon at night. But more than that, the people. They knew how to live and that life is worth living. Fabulous words Coyote.

[Coyote Poetry]

Good to be a Gypsy dear Chris. Thank you for reading and the comment.

[Julie McCarthy (juliesp..]

Love your romantic poems
What a library of memory you have
Beautiful

[Coyote Poetry]

Thank you dear Julie for reading and the comment. I am ready for a Gypsy night tonight.

[William Michael Reeves]

You need a lot. Words and memories. Ink and love. Probably need new strings for the guitars too, all that salty sea air can't be good for them. That's really bold to tell death off. Myself, I'd rather not piss the f****r off!

[Coyote Poetry]

You are right William. But I was young and brave once. Thank you for reading and the comment.

[Scott Andrews]

I really like this piece. It is a dark romanticism to it. I think you have managed to show the two magical sides of beaches. The lonely and the happily defiant.

I lived in Spain awhile and I remember being dragged to the Fiesta de San Juan. The entire village came out to celebrate the night. People as far as the eye could see along the beach everywhere. Bonfires lit all the way down. People singing and dancing, and drinking and making new friends and at midnight everyone rushed into the sea to wash away their sins of the past year. The party went well into sunrise and it was really a celebration that they had all made another year. Your narrative brought be back into that moment.

I have an idea for a small twist for you. In Romani folklore Owls are harbingers of death. Their hoots were meant to represent them calling souls to the next life. Imagine Johnnie learning that knowledge, then after they leave an owl lands beside him and he tells it to f**k off.

It is such a positive piece about how the arms of fate can embrace you. You have quickly defined characters and kinship and it almost feels like the kind of whirlwind experience that leaves you wondering afterwards if it really happened. I think it is a great piece of writing.

[Coyote Poetry]

It did happen in 1992. I was lucky. The Army send me to Fort Ord, California. Monterey near, a city filled orphans. Thank you Scott for reading and the comment.