He could not weep

Just words.

                            He could not weep

A pint of beer, dancing the Texas two-step with the pretty Tijuana girl in a tavern on the Mexican border.

Final Chapel for a man who accepted life as as-is. He tell the kids now. A silent stand leave you wishing you stood for something. You believed in something.

Begot wishes become heavy burdens and forgotten dreams. Men who lived a tamed life. Believed in the government that send young men go to war. Teach them murder and death before love. They learn. Life is meaningless and the value of life mean little to a government ran by lawyers and big business.

Today the old soldier cannot weep. He remembered the 5000 Iraqis soldiers frozen and forgotten. He remember finding dead bodies in Africa and burning them. Not I.D and forgotten.

The pretty Tijuana girls whispered. All of us are led to hell and back by fools and liars. Johnnie, you ain't dead yet. Please dark poet. Write down the dirtiness. Bring the dirt to light. A silent life accepting the lies without a fight. Leave you alone with a pint of beer and needing little.

I told her. Honey, dear and sweetheart. When you saw the darkness of life. Hard to see the light of hope. I have known killers and tyrants. They saw profit and flesh to use and sell. After a soft heart saw the war dead, lost too many friends to war and saw starvation. And he didn't do a worthwhile thing. No more tears, no more weeping can be found.

In a tavern in Tijuana. A dark eyes beauty told the soldier. Love is life and life is love. Please forget the bad things or you will die alone.

                                John Castellenas/Coyote

Author's Note

Just words.

Reviews

[‘Thoughts In Time..]

Amen to that- leave the past in the past that’s why it’s called the past it’s gone- let the dead rest- holding on and blaming oneself binds is- you did what you had to and I believe you did your best- tears will return to cleanse the soul- a strong man and a real man does cry- everything in due time- wonderful words🌹

[Mirror]

WOW. The work is beautiful. I think you should be more of a bibliographer

[Coyote Poetry]

You are very kind and thank you for reading and the comment. I do appreciate.

[workscot]

coyote,sorry to say another chapter and verse from man's internal and eternal struggles under the guise of peace.as a conscientious objector medic in nam,same deal only higher body count.when I arrived the guys taunted me with;no gun-no guts.when I left I had a folder full of names and addresses and at parting,hugs and promises they'd stay in touch.at 6'4" I towered over the locals but won their momentary respect.in the early 70s I 2stepped across texas for 5yrs.you gals grow mighty pretty over there.just do what you can to question authority and fight for the right to care when others don't.keep an eye open for a piece I wrote about the tradgedies of war "west texas tradgedy" coming soon. thanks for posting this fragment of life.

[Coyote Poetry]

Thank you for reading and the comment. I'm just tire of the talk of war. People, who saw the left-over of war. They know. No winner in war. Just destroyed cities and homeless people. I appreciate the detailed comment.

[Gee]

Do you think it helps that you have the ability to "out" your feelings through your writing. There must be many a man that suffers in silence as they are not able to express themselves.
I tip my hat to any man or woman who chooses to put their life on the line for their country and ultimately world stability.
This is a fine piece Coyote

[Coyote Poetry]

Thank you my friend for reading and the comment. Our new world making me see repetition of the old wars. We should be scare to death.

[Gee]

Hopefully all will see sense and settle down

[Fabian G. Franklin]

But if we forget the bitter will the sweet be as sweet? Living on the edge we are truly alive but it's not a place I envy or regret. In the midst of death or at the edge of death we value life the more. But those who have been on the edge never return the same.

[Coyote Poetry]

You are right my friend. Thank you Fabian for reading and the comment.

[Lydia Shutter]

Difficult to forget the ravages of war...to forget the bodies strewn on the battlefields. This is why so many vets suffer from PTSD. She was a wise woman...that lady in Tijuana. Seeing the beauty in life is so important. Lydi**

[Coyote Poetry]

She was right and thank you Lydia for reading and the comment. I do appreciate.

[Annette Pisano-Higley]

"Please forget the bad things or you will die alone"-great memorable line. But much harder to do than to say- especially for a soldier. "A silent stand leave you wishing you stood for something"-yes, but actions-sacrifices- speak louder than words...always thank you and God bless you for your great service to our country sir Coyote. You are a true Hero .Beautiful, important poetic statement.

[Coyote Poetry]

Thank you Annette. I appreciate your kind words.

[Soundz]

This is intense maaaaan!!
I can feel the coldness of the words, like Clint Eastwood read them to me.
The lines, "Please dark poet. Write down the dirtiness. Bring the dirt to light. A silent life accepting the lies without a fight." really jolt me. Just accept corruption, blatant and powerful lies, and live life simply. These are the reasons that explain why living like a renegade is so much fun.
In the end you have to break rules to make rules.
You should be stoked on this one!

[Coyote Poetry]

Thank you for reading and the comment. In 1991. My unit cleared Death Valley In Iraq. 10,000 bodies we freeze and waiting for their country to want. Never did when I was there. I went to Africa three times on food and water missions. We clears cities where only dead bodies will left. I learn. My life wasn't so bad.

[Soundz]

I know it's hard to see, but your work pushes people to look deeper into meaning. You make me contemplate things I never knew I could. I appreciate you man