The sheep and the wolf

Easy to play the hunter. Hard to be the innocence sheep. But for a moment.

                      










                          











The sheep and the wolf


The man lifts his bottle of cheap wine,
telling the passing people.
"You can't go back after the words are spoken
to cut down a sweet love."
The old man didn't ask for coin.
He stared at the sea. He was waiting.
Waiting for the final sweet dream to appear.

The pretty young girl was rocking her baby.
She told me. "I will be OK. I don't need no-one."
She was holding unto me so tightly.
I could see she was wishing for me to stay and go at the same time.

My Grandfather never married again.
55 years with my Grandmother.
He told me. "I miss the old girl. She was so damn mean.
A good woman she was."
I felt sorry for him. He was very glad when us Grandchildren came by.
He would tell me. "Grandma would be proud of you. I'm proud of you."

The woman danced in the open square in the center of San Francisco.
She didn't know how to be embarrassed.
I smiled. Her beauty and energy for living made my heart come alive.
I danced the waltz on lonely beaches with her.
The moon and stars were our audience.
We stole the stages at the jazz bar.
She was a delight, so rare in a life.
I didn't hold on too tightly.
I wanted my lady of happiness to feel free and alive.

The woman begs me to stay.
Her gift of flesh was tempting.
I saw love in her eyes.
I tried to tell her.
"I'm dead. My heart had been cremated. All I can teach you is how to be alone."
I left her crying tears for a dead man.
I tried to thank her. But when the heart is young.
Words are meaningless. The desire and hunger of the flesh control the mind
and the body.

The Wolf told the sheep.
"Come to my den. I will treat you so gentle. I will love you.
Eat your flesh slowly. Till I kill every bit of kindness that is left.
You will be dead. Like me."
You will become the Wolf. Instead of the prey."

Sitting on the road.
There is blood upon my hands.
I have lost control of my desire. I can't move.
I yell at the people walking near.
"Love someone. For one day you will be alone.
It will be too late to wish for forgiveness."

The Wolf is at my feet.
His teeth are dripping flesh blood.
He told me. "My friend. You are my best student.
Your deeds have taught me new tricks. You have become my teacher."

I tried to run from the Wolf.
I ran into the sea.
I looked at the setting sun.
I prayed to the sea for forgiveness.

Love and pain. Hate and kindness.
Words of love and sadness are scars and tattoos on our heart and mind.
Emotions are a journey to understand.
We will pay for all sins in the end.

I may play the prey. I may be the teacher of pain.
Dreams will fade away. Tenderness may evaporate into the wind.
I will not try to repent. Deeds done to use and abuse will be returned
in hell.

On a warm sunny day.
I can forget the pain.
I can even remember to smile.
I learn to speak less.
The ocean is in my view.
Create a peace for me.
I wish for thing gone and lost.

I understand there is no peace for a man who wants everything.

                      Coyote
                     1982

Author's Note

Any mistakes please assist. Never to too old to learn. Thank you for reading. I found my old poetry reading book from 25 years ago or more. I hope you enjoy.
Coyote

Reviews

[Art]

How a man can find his way from the past is as elusive as the wisdom of the Soul...we find love and lose it, we seek happiness and miss it and when we are older we reflect on everything...and when we die we meet our maker...nice work my friend live well and seek...peace and love

[Fabian G. Franklin]

I've heard it said that lions can lay down with lambs and both be led by children...beautiful poem.

[dreaming dame]

I love the story! Makes you think :)

[kill the innocents]

the poem is beautiful.. .. and i like this line...

The woman danced in the open square in the center of San Francisco.
She didn't know how to be embarrassed.
I smiled. Her beauty and energy for living made my heart come alive.
I danced the waltz on lonely beaches with her.
The moon and stars were our audience.
We stole the stages at the jazz bar.
She was a delight, so rare in a life.
I didn't hold on too tightly.
I wanted my lady of happiness to feel free and alive.
..

[Amy Bumpas]

I really like these lines: I danced the waltz on lonely beaches with her.
The moon and stars were our audience.
We stole the stages at the jazz bar.
She was a delight, so rare in a life.
I didn't hold on too tightly.
I wanted my lady of happiness to feel free and alive.
Yes, someone that wants everything, and a perfectionist at that,
there is no peace, and always being let down in some way.
I had a hard time trying to find a focal point in this, like what you
were really trying to express. It was a good write overall though.

[A.G Franke]

greed...it's a powerful thing, it can be used as a weapon or a tool. but still powerful. good write Coyote

[emmajoy]

You always touch the heart with your thoughts and words and maybe even more in this. It's as if you've opened the first page of a thick book about life, self, feelings and more. There's so much here it's hard to pick out the passages that mean more than others.. probably because it's not disjointed, it's not a series of incidents, it's life in all its unglory, in all its memories, people and guilt upon guilt.

' I tried to run from the Wolf. ~ I ran into the sea. ~ I looked at the setting sun. ~
I prayed to the sea for forgiveness. ' That sea, at the end, a baptism, an acceptance of cleansing ..

[Linear]

This is an Epic........A great piece of poetic art.........I bow low at this teachers feet no blood shall I spill, like a lamb I'll become for the art of man is blowing the sea birds away..........My friend, I am humbled

[Neva Flores Smith - Cha..]

all I can do is teach you how to be alone. This line brought tears to my eyes as I have been learning how to be alone myself the past 3 years. This is a splendid write......

[Ashesh]

i saw a man who had dark past and now he lives for redemption. he despises himself for what he has done and thinks he doesn't deserve love. desperation so well projected. awesome poem.

[Kelsie Eileen Stark]

This has a great moral, and amazing metaphors. People who want everything will never be happy..