Days End

The green Chevrolet zipped bumpity onto the bend
Where the road thins
Single file
And the old man remembered
The olden days
When the asphalt paved highway
Brought silk to the meaning
Of asphalt and tire

The road was old now
Pot marked old
As freeze turned to thaw
And thaw turned to freeze

The old man
Eyes aged sour
Squinted
Through the glare of the glass stained windshield
And cursed
As the jolt
From tire thumping rock
Launched him
Like a rocket into space
Dropping him suddenly
Like a bomb
Onto the rusted core
Of metal springs and tarnished leather
That had once
Feathered his landings

Hard ride
He muttered to no one
And cursed again
As he steered his Chevy
Through the road
Of swamp and green


The car sputtered noise
Clanking, thumping, and hissing
As it coughed
For the last time
Dying
In a puff of rust and smoke

The old man snarled
As the broke down Chevy
Lay dead on the road
He remembered those other days
When the car shone new
Clean green new
It was fresh then
Like Magnolias blooming in the field
On a crisp April morn
And he watched
As the sun lifted
Above the horizon

He was alone now
His thoughts turned to survival
And he imagined
The wolf
Lurking at night
In the blackness
Of the forest green

Kneeling
He praised his God
And asked for mercy
And a safe journey home

The old man walked in thought
As he strode the stones
Of another day
He had been happy with her
Her smile was charming
Showed white with a gap up front
Between the two big uppers
Looked a bit rabbity
And he snickered
Thinking about their first Easter together
When he brought her a bouquet of carrots
And she gnawed away, snorting as she ate

She kissed him then
Kissed him again
And he melted to tenderness
As he felt the sweetness of her sugar
Rushing to his head

Her eyes were teasingly warm
Laughing eyes
He had called them
Painted blue
Like the waters
On a clear coral reef

A treasure trove of love
Is what she was
The old man said
She cared
When caring mattered

He pressed forward
Into the vastness
Of the forest
Where beasts
With shiny green eyes
Awaited their prey

They had been happy together
Met in high school
By the water fountain
Sophomore year
Her hair
Brushed front to back
Pony tail style
Had been bleached blond by the sun

Golden perfection
He thought

And he lingered
Remembering her kiss

The forest came to life
As the sun closed another day
Full moon tonight
The old man thought
And he shivered
In the still of the autumn air
That was not yet cold

Ahooooo
He heard
It was the sound of the wolves
Howling in the night
As they traveled in packs
Scouring the forest
For food
And life

The old man looked
Searching for shelter
From the perils of the night
In the darkened greens
Of this God forsaken world

He found some twigs
Flint lit them
Like his daddy taught him
And built a fire

No wolves now
He muttered in a gruff
Nasty voice
That no one heard

The loneliness
Of his days
Became unbearable at night
As he looked
For eyes that were not really there
Demon Monsters
He uttered
And the old man stepped
Carelessly
Into the grassy root
Covering the swamp laden bog
That had become his home

He screamed
As jolts of agony
Shot from his ankle
Throbbing blood
beneath the torment
Of the open wound
Swelling broader
As he hobbled forward
Through the quagmire
Of swamp
And flea

Fear
Fluttered fast and furious
As images flashed
Through his mind
And he imagined
The wolf
Teeth snarling sharp
In a gripping growl
Its saliva spitting hot fever
Waiting to prance
On what was left
Of his tattered remains

He picked a branch
That broke from the tree
As it fell from grace
Purged it of thorns
And gamely gripped it
Limping
Cane in hand
Forward
Toward his targeted destination
That would keep him safe
From the beast of prey
Lurking
Stealth like
between the trees
Of the darkened forest
And he winced
As the sharpening pain
Made more treacherous
The treacherous journey he had already begun

His haven of safety
Hours away
He crept
Toward the place
He now called home

His mind turned to her
And the youth of their day
When handsome
Was the description
Of their coupling

They were so much in love

Sweet sunshine in the morning dew
He thought
And he wanted her
More than he had ever
Wanted
Anything else

The wedding had been a joyous one
Beloved family
Forever friends
A hoist of people
Important to their past
And cherished in their days
Attended in celebration
As the blessed couple took their vows
And swore a love
Of forevermore

Their marriage was magic
Happiness and laughter
Filled their days
As they gleamed eternity
From the foundation
That had dug its roots
Deep in the fertile soil
That conjoined their time

He pleased her with vigor
And spoiled her with charm
They were happy together
And together
Would be forever

But the years passed
And their thoughts of eternity
Diminished to the tedious grind
Of making due

Their love
Lingered to convenience
As he toiled ambitiously
In a job
That needed time
And concentration

The magnitude of their passion
So lustful
In its beginnings
Melted
As he spent his days
Distant to her needs
An unimportant job
In an unimportant career

He had become a voyager
Traveling distances
Into horizons of opportunity
As he searched for the monetary rewards
That would bring praise
From his anointed lover

His car
The green Chevy
So cherished in life
Had dulled with the ticks of time
Becoming his house
As much as his home
And days would go by
Without seeing the lady
He called love

She had been lonely
Unfulfilled through abstinence
And childless by choice
His choice......
Not hers
She dreamt of better days
Yesterday days
Of golden dreams and
Golden promises
And little ones
Lots of tots
Scurrying here and there
Doting on her every word
And she would protect them
As a good mother should

When had the time parted
The souls of their heart
And she remembered
His dimpled smile
And curled up hair
That had beguiled her
With laughter
And imagined the pecks and kisses
That turned into passionate embraces
As he romanced her
And called her love

She needed the hunger
Of the other days
When her body called
And he would listen
Eyes upon eyes he was always there
In those eternal moments
Tendered times
When he would grab her dreams
And fulfilled her wishes

Where was the honey
That had kissed her lips
In those days of harmony
She needed it
Body and soul
And ached for his sweetness

It was the glistening of hope
That had vanished from her life
And she desperately needed it back

She reached
Drink in hand
Imagining the affection
That never
Came
And swallowed hard
The relief it brought

The trees had eyes
And the thorns flashed teeth
The old man
Grown with age
Transversed awkwardly
Steadfastly
Across the bog
That bore his memories
Since the days
When life had ended
And life began

It had been a violent end
Too horrible to contemplate
Yet too horrible
To pass
He shuddered
As his mind wandered
Towards those days
Of demise
When life
Turned cold
And remorse
Began

He had not been a violent man
His muscular body
Flabbed with age
Had softened
In time
And his desire
For fame
Released itself
Into the acceptance
Of loss
Youthful loss
When boredom became
The flesh of his day

His lust for love
His needed passions
Those tender moments
Of gentle beginnings
Lost themselves
Into the darkness
Of the approaching shadows
When age dims reality
And the slice of a knife
Cuts the realities of time

And he traveled through expectations
Not recognizing
The chameleon of changes
That altered their ways

His days
Mingled together
One unto the other
Transforming themselves
As the passions of love
Doused themselves
And the fires of lust turned to ash

He traveled
From day to night
And night to day
Home in thought
Away in body
His mind raced foreword
And the lust he had felt
In their days of joy
Moved unkindly
From passion to ownership
And he welcomed that change
As she became the pet
He so wanted
To control

She grew inward
Alone and unfulfilled
She became intolerant
To his needs
Neither caring
Nor sharing
His thoughts or deeds

She took to drink
Morning to night
And night to morning
Aching for tenderness
From his touching hand
That never came
And never touched

Her needs unfilled
Her wants untendered
Her loneliness became unbearable
And she drank to drink
Not realizing
The addiction
Burning in her soul

The old man thirsted
At the stream of swamp
That had filled with urine
From the passing
Of the hunter
And he emptied himself
But could not drink
His needed drink

He heard the bark
Ahooo
In the darkened forest
Of muck and mud
As the howling wolf
Tracked its meat
Moving closer
And closer
To its daily meal

His heart pounded
And his body scampered
From the sharpened teeth
That would do him in

His ankle throbbed
As his blood filled joint
Pained to stiffness
And the old man shuffled
From panic to frenzy

He crept closer
Bending now
Almost crawling
As the old man saw
The lights of his cabin

He climbed
Tortuously
Upward
Over rocks
Into mud
Until he reached the pinnacle
Of the tiny hill
On the grassy knoll

He was minutes from safety
He sighed
In an exhaustive collapse
Of mind and body
His heart pounding as waves of adrenalin
Circled his body
And he inhaled deeply
The gasping breadth
That gave him life

Oxygen redeemed him
And he raised his body
Skyward towards God
Thanking Him
For salvation
And he said Amen
As he prayed again

His thoughts calmed
And his body released
It was a warm bed
That he needed so badly
He would boil some milk
Mixing in chocolate chips
And sugar
To sweeten the day
When he almost died

His green Chevy
Worn with love
Yet slimed by time
Was gone
Dying in a covering of silt
And spoil

His business done
He drove hurriedly
Into the night
Awaiting the day
He would be home

He soared through cities
And roared through towns
It was a journey
Of exhaustion
Gone for nights
He had filled his days
Selling wares
To businesses here
And businesses there

He had run
Non stop
And he was tired

He had driven through mountains
Crossed bridged seas
Stopping once
As he gazed in admiration
The arid planes of the deserted desert

His soul was lost
And he hungered
For the sanctity of his house and home
And he pictured the whiteness
Of his dreams
The fresh cut grass
And beds of roses
Planted in the spring
Of their love

Mostly, though
He needed the familiarity of
A home cooked dinner
And an awaiting wife
Which he sorely missed

The old man
Cane in hand
Descended the hill
And counted the stars
Splaying light
In dots
Across
The Western sky

He imagined
The steam from
The hot water tub
Clouds of whiteness
Drifting upward towards the sky
And he would pray
As he cleansed his body
And forgave his soul

The Green Chevrolet
Shown new
In the morning sun
As it zig zagged
Up the mountain side
Reaching its peak
Among the trees
That adorned its journey
As it steeped its descent
Almost flying as it
Sloped its way
To the bottom road
That led to his home

He would surprise her
With hugs
Then kisses
And speak passionately
About their tomorrows
He would embrace her love
As it had been
In the other days
As he told her
Of love renewed
In his days of toil
Away
From her loving arms

And he had
Missed her
As his days of journey
Sprouted
Into loneliness
And beyond

He did love her
Not passionately
Not flamboyantly
But in thought
Like furniture
Comforted through time
She had become
His
And he had become
Hers

He drove
Slower now
Down the streets
Of early memories
Yelling hello
To the paperboy
Who flung the news
Across the sky
Into the yard
Of a far off
Neighbor

The old man
Freezing to stillness
From the onset of an early frost
Saw the cabin
And smiled securely
Anticipating the warmth and safety of his cherished home
He relaxed as he stepped forward
Looking once more
At the beauty
Of the night time sky

Life would go on
He said to himself

The drive home
Brought days of dreams
Of happy endings
And laughing faces
He was not young
Anymore
As he peered in the mirror
And drove in contemplative thought
His hair had remained dark
With only a touch of age
And a few crows lined his brown colored eyes
But that was it
He was not old
Either

The sun
Shining bright
In the morning sky
Blurred his vision
As he drove
Ever closer to his heart
To the place he called home
And he thirsted
For its sanctity
And longed
For its familiarity

She was all that remained
Of the olden days
When friends were friends
And lovers loved lovers
But
Lust ended
And friends
Bid adieu
They were alone now
His memories were with her
And only her
Their love
Different
Vital
And he needed her
More than ever

She was drinking heavily now
Going regularly to the little tavern
On the outskirts of town
Where no one knew her name

An older woman
She had aged
Gently
But surely
She studied her features
In the crystal coloring
Of the time warn mirror
Her hair
Blond by color
Radiated enchantment
Enticing leers of hunger
From lusting men
On the prowl
For a wild time
Away from home

Her painted red lips
Parted wet
As she sipped from the snifter of cognac
That she had so grown to love
And the giddiness she felt
Made her feel
AS young as her dreams

This was her favorite time
The private time
When she was alone
With people
Strangers really
Who knew not her name
And that
Was the part
So important in time
When she lusted the touch
Of the stranger
Unknown

She stood
As her eyes caressed
The shape of her body
Staring back
In the mirror

She had aged gracefully
Swan like
Her body
Stylish in stance
Glowed with confidence
And her figure
Taught and lean
Still held
The shape of her fanciful youth

She was beautiful
And the reflection
She saw
In the crystal mirror
Was that of the woman
She lusted to be

She looked around
For the telltale signs of comfort
She needed so badly
And glanced at
The Oak bearing furniture
Of table and chairs
That had scratched
Comfort over the years
And she smiled
Knowing she fit in
Nicely
With her surroundings

She sipped the cognac
Till the glass had emptied
And ordered another

The hours passed
As she drank to drink

Her passion ignited
Growing to lust
As she embellished her ego
With drink after drink
Studying the people
Around the bar
And the confidence she got
From the bottles of brew
Made conversation
Easy
With the man
Who said hello

She chugged another
And he offered her more
She felt good around him
She felt alive
And
Wanted to be touched

She laughed as he spawned
The jokes of his life
And she talked
As he listened

And she needed to be heard

She held his hand
The touch of his flesh
Electrified her heart
As sensations of want
Circled her body
And the tingles
Of anticipation
Gave way
To the urges
Of a calling bosom

She needed him
And her passion grew
Beyond control
It had been so long
Since the touch of another
Had made ecstasy
Her desire

She leaned
Toward him
Parting her mouth
Her lips crested
Anxiously
In a wave of excitement
As she gently
Kissed
The lips of
His desire

She rose
Looking for familiarity around the bar
But the faces she saw
Were strangers
And she knew she was safe
And wanted to play

She kissed him hard
And she kissed him long
Diving deep into need
He grabbed her hand
He pulled her closer
He kissed her
With passion
Then lust took control
And he needed
Her touch
As he wanted to touch

They left their drinks
On the lonely table
Where they had laughed
And they had touched
And drove
To the lonely house
In the quaint neighborhood
With the sprawling pines
And six foot bushes
That she called home

She liked it that way
Gave her privacy
And she was a private woman

It was dark
With regret
That lonely house
But she had no sorrows
Not now
Not then
It was his fault
It was the needed passion
Brought by his neglect
That stirred the thoughts
That brought this action
And they stripped
Peeling clothes
Kissing and touching
As they lay naked
On the bed

She felt no shame
As they embraced
Igniting pleasures
Atop ecstasy
As they touched
What they wanted to touch
Till they culminated
And fell asleep
In each other arms

It was the morning of the day
And she made him breakfast
His favorite meal

Toast, eggs, bacon, potatoes
She yelled
In a soft alluring voice
She had meant for pleasure

They ate
Slowly
Consuming the food
Consuming each other
They sat laughing with happiness
Talking nonsense
As the omelet they were eating
Melted into the mouths
Of their morning kisses

They held hands
Like lovers in love
As they pranced
Unashamed
To the front of the door
She opened it
With a tease
Looking for familiar faces
She saw none
As she stepped into
The dawn
Of a new born Sun

It was almost sunrise
On this warm
Wonderful day
And they were alone
Amongst strangers
And she kissed him deep
As he kissed her long

The Green Chevy
Purred slowly
Along the barren streets
He knew so well
He turned the wheel slowly
Embellishing his words
Of affection
That would bring smiles to her heart
He entered
The driveway
Of his house and home
He felt happy to be back

They were joined as one
Arms wrapped tenderly
Entwining each other
In a grip of electric arousal
And they kissed
Lustfully
As if
It were
Their last
And final
Kiss

The morning dew
Had given up
To the rising of the sun
And the man stopped the car
He leaned foreword
Gazing into the future
But the picture he was seeing
Through the glare of the windshield
Was not of the morning Sun

His mind snapped
Cold
And he felt fury
Like he had never felt
Nor wanted to feel before
His rage grew
As he stared
At the sight
Of the obscenity
In the scene
In front of his eyes
And he reacted
With vengeance
Striking
As the Devil
In the hands of destiny

Their kiss
Embraced their fate
With passion and lust
And his mind angered
Growing wild
With hate
And he could not
Bear the sight
Nor the consequences
Of this betrayal

He snapped
Violently
Red fire igniting vengeance
In the flashing eyes
Of his disgust
And he roared the engine
As he lost control

They froze mid kiss
Hearing the roar
Of that fated engine
Their eyes wide open
As the Chevy
Flew thunderously
Into view
And they did not move
As it smashed them
Body against brick

Blood poured
As their mangled bodies
Fell limply
Onto the reddened ground
Where they now lay dead

Terror gripped him
He screamed in horror
Sharp shrieking sounds
Sobbing uncontrollably
His muscles recoiling backward
Tensing to anxiety
Tightening
Fear
Engulfing his body
And numbing his mind

His body pitched forward
Than backwards
Violently shaking
Rocking back
Then forth
He could not catch his breadth
As he gasped for air
It was an accident
He cried
It was an accident

And he prayed
For forgiveness
And he felt the guilt
Of eternal sin
And he knew he was doomed

He sped away from the horror
He saw
The bloody body of his mangled wife
And bludgeoned stranger
Lying dead at his door
Like crushed tomatoes
Splattered about
And he pictured the carnage
Again and again
As his pedal
Hit the floor

He could not look back
As he drove
Farther and faster
Distances away
From the haven
He had called home

The old man
Paused on the dirt filled path
By the edge of the cabin
As the howl of the wolf grew nearer
And he scurried to get inside

He heard the panting
As the growling grew louder
Closer now
Louder now
And he smelled the stench
Of rotting death

He was in trouble
He looked to the forest
It was black with fear
And he felt the wolf
With the dark green eyes
And razored teeth
Staring hungrily from
The back of the hidden tree
Beside the house

But he could not see
What he should have seen

He had grown old
Since that fateful day
When she had died
And left him alone

He remembered those nights
As he remembered those days
They were lonely times
Away from home
He had always been faithful
Never touching
Never betraying
The woman
He called love

But she had betrayed him
Taken a lover
And his eyes filled
With tears
As he remembered more

He had not planned
The malicious act
When vengeance called his name
He had loved her
And he had wanted her
More than ever

She had taken a lover
Betraying him
Causing him pain
And she cursed him
With loneliness

He had been good to her
Nice house
New clothes
She got everything
She had wanted
While he suffered
In the loneliness
Of a boring job
And a solitary life

He felt safe here
As he drove around the bend
Where the road had ended
Through the woods
Crossing streams
Atop rocks
Into the density of
A beast laden forest
And he cried with sorrow
As he sobbed with tears

It was her betrayal
He said aloud
And he cried in loneliness

The years did pass
And he made a home
In the rock and green
Of an unwelcome forest

The police
Had arrived
Blood and guts oozing
From the mangled remains
Of the one time lovers

Their eyes had grown
Cold
Deadened cold
As they stared blankly
Into the eternal emptiness
Of the darkened sky
And they would see no more
Their thoughts ceased
Even to time

Corpses
Waiting for burial
No more
No less

Oldest crime in the book
The white haired captain said
As he showed the picture
Of the betrayed husband
Now wanted for murder

Jealousy
He said aloud
Caught her cheating
Went berserk

He understood
The crime

The captain
Thought he knew the man
That lay so still
In the dried out blood

Doesn't live around here
He said
And looked for the wallet
That would give a name

Out of towner
He said
Tramp lady
He thought
Probably deserved what she got

He gave up the chase
Soon after

The old man
Fell backwards
Onto the ground
He was too tired to move
And he lay
Belly up
Eyes staring
Toward the blackened heavens
Of the star bright sky
And he saw the moon
And it was full

Ahoo
Howled the wolf
And he heard the sound
But didn't care

The lonely man
Stared to the stars
As he talked to his God
And prayed for rest

He had not meant
To do them harm
So long ago
When life was life

He did not hear the track of hooves
So close to his body
And was startled
As the howling
Seemed to stop
Just short
Of his worn down body

He looked to the side
Fear feasting on his mind
Adrenaline flushing
Wildly
Through body and soul

He tried to stand
But could only crawl
The safety of the cabin
So close
A warm bath
Just feet
Away

He cringed
When he saw
The feet
Of the four legged monster

So large
He thought
As he peered
Into the
Shining eyes
Of the Devil of Death

The Wolf growled celebration
As it jumped high
Then low
Towards the throat
Of the old man
Alone on the ground

The old man felt its teeth
As hot saliva
Dripped into his eyes
And he heard the sound
Of tearing flesh
And broken bone

It was morning of a new day
Only his carcass remained
And the Buzzard
Swooping downward from high
Ate the remains
Of what was left
Of the old man's memories

AND he WAS GONE


















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