Sunday, March 21, 2010

Drunk Hit and Run and My Old Friend Tex - Part 3 of 4 "Dents and Scratches"

Once again Charlie took it hard, missed his dear Barbie, he let down his guard,
Helpless, the frozen panic, the blood in the street, that truck just struck! Sent her twenty-five feet!
Holding that drunk, alone in my eyes, I watched from the curb, his pus-gut rise.
What was the harm? We shared just one breath.
What drove him so far? What was the welcome he got at the bar?
She recovered, ailing all summer, the mulish grace the impact could not erase,
Though sad to see, her gleam it seemed, now washed from her face.

As the look of Tex, a doggone, far gone look of calm, he, my meat-end vagabond,
His face, a mix of power and pain, with surrender above, simmered fire below, his smoldered strain, a lone sparrow in the rain.
Going nowhere, in his ’63 Valiant, silence, blank stares, are the moments we shared.
Lit beneath ivory gold skies, I’d watch him a’rope, plastic ponies in the rye.
Each day I’d want more, to connect with ol’ Tex,
‘Til the day, sitting still without snore, impressions to take from him no more.
In stilted silence, I wished I’d been there.
When dying alone, who takes in your last stare?

5 comments:

  1. Ron,

    I don't know where this comes from, but keep it up, please. Every time I read something of yours, I am stunned by the images and choice of words and thoughts, and your voice changes in subtle ways. This reminds me of Cormac McCarthy's prose...and your last line, the question is haunting.

    The previous post about rabbit turds is playful and seems straight out of Lewis Carroll. You're inspiring. Wish I could write like that!

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  3. Terry, Once again such wonderful praise I appreciate from an authority as you...I'm not worthy...

    Unfortunately, 90% of this is all true, including the Rabbit Turd stuff...Tex was a mysterious man, he was to me, exactly as described...I miss him...And that's going back about 30 years ago...Thanks again...Ron

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  4. The Tex words are lovely. Very sad.

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  5. Thanx Niki; He was mysterious man witout a home; but he had a grace about him...

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