Submit your work, meet writers and drop the ads. Become a member
Keith W Fletcher Jan 2016
All the blood was gone
As I had stood here ..knees locked
For no telling how long..
... About 40 years since  I had walked
Through the blanket on the doorway hung
That turned out to be a time machine portal
And here I thought it was just to help hold in heat
Silly me . RECOGNIZE . GOD  just touched a mortal
Just before entering here I was asking myself why
Why why why to a question I knew I hadn't a clue
AND NEVER WOULD! . So..why did I keep asking .?
I even knew That I knew
As I rushed down the hall and up the stairs
Across the landing and down the long cold hall
The redundancy of "WHY DID YOU DO THAT..WHY?"
All the way to that blanket and then into the warmth
As I stepped in and all the way back ....40 years.

I wasn't aware until suddenly I was standing there
Knowing I just got back but unaware that I had been gone
And in surrealistic repose was my half closed flip phone
Draped over my open left palm like a sea sick sailor
On unsteady legs asleep below the knees
I managed the  two steps distance -to my easy chair
Where I found the right levers to slowly ease
My cold, stiff and diminished mortal core
Down to where I might be able to gather myself
That was scattered all about
But first I had to close the flip phone
       That I had opened back in early September 1974

The television was playing right in front of me
But I never heard nor did I see
The fireplace was waining ----it's heat replaced by cold
I dragged a blanket over myself which I didn't even unfold
The day that existed outside the window
Scurried off
Stealing away with the light
As if it were checking to see if I'd even notice
How quickly the hands of the clock
Had painted in the night
I never even noticed --really .. I wasn't even there

I was sitting in my car in the grocery store parking lot
Watching strangers roll by as they cruised the strip
In a small town where I now lived for maybe two weeks
I was 17 a  longhaired city boy but if I was on anyones radar
     So far.... I hadn't made a single blip
One night as I sat  there
  A faded camaro
That had to be the ugliest green I ever seen
Rolled in to park behind my car
Quickly flanked by two more -
One at each door
I could see them in the mirror
I could hear the raucous laughter
This was what I had been sitting here for
What was missing that I was after
But .... I was as shy as I could be back then
Not the kind who could get out and just push right in
And then ......serendipity walked in
A cop car rolled past on the strip
And the wildhaired guy in the camaro just let it rip
Beep beep BEEEEEEEEEEP BEBEBEBEBEEEEP
WENT his horn and the cop whirled to turn in
Lost in the shadow of the grocery store he parked
As he emerged from the shadows I saw 5 ft 8 250 lbs.
And believe me now as  I give you my word
He demanded to know who was honking
Standing there 15 ft away
"I was piggy " yelled the guy in the camaro
I could not believe what I just heard ........or what I heard next
" Well cut it out Don" and into the shadow he disappeared
Then the camaro said "Beep!"
O. M. G   this guys going to jail.
The cop and him argued
The other guys split
I got out to watch from the trunk where I decided to sit
Before he went to the cop car
Cigarette in his lips
Encased in the most amazing grin he asked me
"Hey man ...you got a match?"
I didn't and said I was sorry and they disappeared in shadow
Oh well I thought as I sat watching them get in the car
Illumination of dashlights allowed a set of silhouettes
And I could tell --what the hell-
He was actually lighting up with the dash lighter
Then  he replaced it and in straightening back up
He dragged his fingers across every switch he could manage
And the shadows came alive
With flashing lights, bells and whistles
The cop went spastic shutting it down --2 minutes went by
Then the door opened and out stepped the guy
The car drove away as the wildhaired maniac
Walked over to me fiollowing the lit cigarette and that crazy grin
"That was pretty funny wasn't it dude?"  I probably agreed
That grin was infectious as we talked a bit  
I'm keith _ I'm Don
Then he said "Hey !  You got a joint"
"No I don't "I had to reluctantly admit" And the grin sorta drooped
"But I think I know where we can get one"
From that point on and forever no matter how far apart we were
This guy Don became my best and  truly thick and thin friend
In that 4 month span
I met another person in that town who changed my life
His name was Tom and he was 82 yr old and totally blind
In fact he had gotten his eyes kicked out by a mule at 17
He wore no dark glasses just open holes in his head  
But he was so cool that I just didn't mind
He would drop into the upholstery shop owned by my older brother
And tell whopping tales of one kind or another
About hunting alone and bringing back game
Roofing his house at night because it was cooler
Able to tell color by just a touch but I didn't ever mind
I came to love the spirit that dwelled in that old man
My brother built him a loom in the back to Tom specifications
And he wove shawls on it from skeins of different colored yarn
Then other towns people dropping in would see old Tom
And tell the same stories he told and it wasn't long
For my sister -in- law, my brother and especially me
TO REALIZE
That any doubts we had about him
were absolutely wrong
THEN
He walked in and ran his hand over a large red velvet couch
Saying oh ain't that a pretty red I stayed silent my brother said
" Now Tom . you've heard us talking about this couch color"
Not mad but in a weary kinda way Tom said " No! I can tell"
So I had to know ...had to . I got two velvet scraps 1gold 1aqua
Here what color as he took the gold -quick feel "thats yeller
   What the......!
Before handing him the aqua I detemined I would lie whatever
He took the piece ..felt for a few seconds and hesitantly said blue
"Nope" I said but !....then Tom felt some more and more and said
"    weeeeeeel its green " his hesitancy and 2 color choices had me freaked
But I said "nope"  and that old man
Right then ....changed my life
From that second to now he effects every fiber of my being
He threw his open holed  black orbless socket to within an inch
  An inch of mine--- square on -- so quick I was stunned
..........An absolute quote here.........
  " WELL its blue green then durn it"  for me this was an epiphony
Don't doubt people so quick  Don't let anything stop you from believing  it can be possible  Always accept that it can be amazing And try to pass this hope on
So I've always tried
    The crazy guy in the ugly green camaro became my friend
We became collaborators with his amazing ear and guitar skills
Over the years he had many vehicles almost always ugly green
So That morning of December 23rd  2012
A bitter wind blowing from the north at about 25 mph and 10 ° f
I Went from the little room I was hibernating in
The only heated room in the old house
It was upstairs facing the dirt road
I had hung a string of Christmas lights inside that north facing view
In hopes of cheering me up after a REALLY bad year of loss
Divorce, bitter battle and more trouble and pain than I like to recall
So when I got up and went out that blanket hung to keep in heat
Took the dogs down the long cold hall down the cold stairwell
And all the way to the mud room wishing I had gotten dressed
I was in flimsy pajamas and floppy houseshoes
At least grabbed a jacket especially once I opened the door
I started out before I felt that wind so I let the dogs have it
I would wait inside the door and as I stood there I saw a bag
A white garbage bag with a bit of green wreath sticking out
I had had it for years never hung it
Probably saw it every time I  entered
So thats where the unanswerable question started
I do not know why
I dug up a hammer a few nails went out the door
I don't know why
Walked a hundred feet out to a field
Got my freezing ice - coated aluminium extension ladder
And carried it back to the house
I DONT KNOW WHY
I don't know why I didn't give up when it took so long
To get the dam thing to separate
Or when ...
I smashed my frozen fingers in the process
But I climbed 14 feet in the air on that north wall
I drove a nail above the window
And I hung that
Red holly berry  adorned
Green plastic wreath
Climbed down and took the ladder back  (really)
And then me and the dogs headed up to the warmth
With me asking maybe even out loud " why why why why"
All the way into the room  
And as I passed through the curtain
At 10:00 That Sunday morning  I saw the flip phone flashing
I had missed a call from Don  gonna wish me an early
Merry Christmas
So I'm sure I was smiling as I hit redial
It was his girlfriend Tammy
Hey Tammy how are you
She said "Don just died in the hospital 5 minutes ago"

The room was cold as the late shadows of a winter day
Were muting the view through the window
As I closed up the flip phone on 1974
And managed to sit down  

Late that night as I still sat there
I had a fire going now
I had managed to eat
And I was thinking of past times
The time he drove down to Texas to get married
He came back and I asked  How you like Texas
And he replied "it ****** man . I can't drive down there"
Why ?
"Cause man they got stop lights running sideways
- not up and down so I couldn't tell what to do.

Then I knew without a single doubt
WHY ?
And I did get an answer to the question after all
And just like the old man Tom and the red and green
Because any doubt I've ever had Ever Ever Ever had
About God and heaven or any version of something more...?
Evaporated forever
Don drove ugly green cars because he was colorblind
He couldn't see red and green in the "normal"sense
And that green he said was the PRETTIEST RED HE EVER SEEN"
So on his way by he stopped in with that stupid infectuos grin
And shielded me from the wind
While that sum b made me hang that dang wreath
And changed my life one more time.
      
       I love you dude and you too Tom  (Hey Tom .   is this what you imagined I looked like?)
alebastard jones Mar 2014
Why is Boredom real?
Why do humans feel?
What's the meaning of life?
"We live just to die.."
Oh ' Enthusiasm
endless driven passion.
take me away...
I'm not afraid.
I've been ready.
nice and steady...
its been real,
Its been fun,
but I'm done.
i can't feel
anything
anymore
Whatever empathy implores.
out the door
**** you oxygen!
let me be free
**** me...
pull the plug
beeeeeeeeeep
haha not funny.
yawn snore
close my door
mow the lawn
ROBOTS
YOUR ALL LAB RATS AND ROBOTS!
BEEP BLOOP BLEEP
1,2,3
Are you mad at me?
I'm not mad why would i be?
Because i gave you my seed while u sleep.
oh
David Ehrgott Dec 2015
Eight years ago in the homeless shelter a loud beep went off in my ear.  It was then that I remembered the time in 1983 that that mob f-word [expletive] slammed a cork ***** in my right ear, twisted it, then ripped out my head guts through my ear.

  Living through the pain, I enjoyed the silence.  Strumming my guitar.  Feeling the vibrations of the neighbors on the floor below me.  The occasional mob cop f-word [expletive] kicking in my door.  Then, silently mouthing nonsense to me as to why I should keep the noise down.  I wish you were there to see the dumbfoundedness when they realised I could not hear them.  But, mostly I would watch the krackles fly, wonderlously sailing.  Perfectly, and without err and without that [idol] awful chatter that drove my girlfriend from the Bronx to move out because (get this) she didn't want to live in a jungle.

  Again my train jumps the tracks.  I'm so sorry, and I do feel the pain of punishment forty-one years after my father taught me how to behave.  Maybe I'll just jump off the train and into a taxi.

Yes, this is much better, now getting back to the story.  The government (Social Security Administration) let me be free of sound for about six months until they figured if they swung for the surgery, they wouldn't have to pay me benefits.  And, when a Lodi mob cop **** shot me because I couldn't hear him yell stop.  I got a lot of money for that.  That is when the government stepped in to rebuild my ear.  I told them no but, they dragged me onto surgery against my will anyway.  Laughing all the while.

  Later I find out that the CIA put a tracer (sender/receiver) in along with a plastic/metal ear drum or whatever part it's called.  Taxi Stop!  40 Dollars!  no tip.

  So, two years ago like I said.  I'm in the homeless shelter and this thing goes off BEEP, BEEP, BEEEEEEEEEEP.  And people are punching me and beating me and telling me to shut up.  And, I'm immobilized because when you have a titanium alloy amplifier in you it hurts your ears even if they are made out of plastic.  And this thing goes on for like SIXTEEN HOURS and I want to reach in and pull it out but, I can't and I scream help and start kicking back until the police come.  But, the thing is still beeping.

  The next day and this is the part that really hurts.  The next day, this slunt that stole my virginity when I was thirteen is there and she still has the thing on in front of all the police and everything and I tell the police DO NOT HELP THAT WOMAN.  She has been blackmailing me for 36 years because I will not have her.  She had me ***** and photographed it and posted photos of this **** everywhere.

  Billboards, grocery stores, places of employment, Yankee Stadium, Florida, the world.  Stop helping this ******!  She should be in jail or the very least5 a ****** ward where they could at least try to help her.

  I have a son and daughter from a previous marriage.  Me, I'm used to being abused.  My family started it when I was six months old.  But, my children really don't have to put up with this garbage because some ***** can't get over me after I rejected her THIRTY-EIGHT YEARS AGO.  ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.  I have a kid who believes this ***** and I have to tell him it's not true and explain what demonic possession is and he says sure dad.  But, then goes ahead and listens to his mother anyway.

He's a good boy.
Delton Peele Feb 2021
No!...
Wait ...
Wait......what.....
Exactly are you
Asking?
I don't feel
Really all that comfortable
With this level
Retoricol
Inquisiting
I  Mean ok ,
Is it, or like ,
Um a lifetime
Thing?
Or the degree or are we talking like
Integrity ,
Ethical,moral,
Egotistical hypolerbies
Or embellishments
The maveric quenching boundary stretching candy crusted
Sweetened cute little uplifting 77 to 99 percent
Accents,
Those little tools used to help you achieve certain
VIP stats with certain ladies....
Meant in the most sincerest
Ways.
Or self inflative manipulative
Pain inflicting ,
Purposefully
Conjured up lies?
Or you mean
This question
?
Should I call Saul?
Um cause uh ,
Honestly
Well I.........
Would like to say no....
Then again .........
Hmmmm
Nono......
I'm trying to grammatically
Articulate my verbage with perfect syntax
To maximize impact in response to your
Intrusive inquisition,
I mean rally
Is this court
Sanctioned?
Wooool?
If I say yes
The I'ma  look
Like a liar,
If I say no ....
Then that would make me a liar....
So do I want to....l...o...o...
....
(((Ring)))))
((((Ring))))
Yaloe dis is Saul
If you want to talk shop...don't leave a message at the
Beeeeeeeeeep
.......................
Im not recording this and (wel not for il-leagle purposes )
And I got caller id so what's up kid.
Go ahead ......you've already paid your 10,000.00
Retainer so relax take your time
We're at your base level 500.oo
Dollars an hour.

— The End —