The Gypsy dance

Life is to be celebrated. Love is to make feel alive. Pain teaches us we have lived.

                     The Gypsy dance

Late at night on the Monterey bay.
If you listen well.
Can hear the strong voices and song of the Gypsies.
They gather in the Winter to celebrate life and death at the sea.

They gather with food and wine.
Share secrets and enjoy time with friends.
The spirit of the sea welcome them.
They take nothing and share their joy and laughter
with the spirits who is content with the free souls.

I have been roaming alone for too long. 1992 was a bad year.
War, lost of lovers/family and too much time to think
had left me empty and not giving a s**t about nothing.
I come at night with my tequila and beer.

I was tire of the Army.
Making me a robot.
I wanted to yell and scream to the Gods for leaving me empty
of life and dreams.
I wanted to be free. I wanted the rope strangling my thoughts
and dragging me to hell to be released.

I didn't want the big house, the fancy car.
Just time to be to travel and roam the country.
Find my senses and to feel alive again.

The Gypsies were loud tonight. I was a distance from them.
Best to  keep a safe distance from people who wanted privacy.
 I wanted my quiet and the ocean to
create a peace for me.

I was awoke from my peace by a dark skin, long hair large man.
 He asked  "Why did I sit alone with the celebration of the
full moon." He laughed and told me. "Drinking alone leave a man with a bad attitude and no-one to tell his story to. You will come and join my party."

I try to say no. The dark eyes man  raised me up and brought me close. He whispered.
"No easy life for anyone. Need to party with the spirit of the moon and start tomorrow like a new born baby."

I take my tequila and beer to the small group.
12 people. Seven woman and five men.  They have a small fire.
A lot of food is placed on the ground. Mainly fruit and fresh vegetables. Wine and beer  in a cooler filled with ice .

The young Gypsy man introduce me. "This is my lonely friend. I found him with a full bottle of tequila and twelve English lagers. He had the gypsy spirit in drink and I invited him to join us."

The man introduce his friends and family. He told me. "We like to travel as a family. Protection in many. Never good to be alone in this world my nameless friend."

I told them my name was John. Each one got up and greeted me. The woman looked into my eyes. Like I was a new toy. The youngest of the woman Elena told the man who brought me here. "Jose, he need a class on life and laughter. He is dead. Where you from my Soldier friend?"

I told her from Michigan. "A lost Ojibwa/Mexican looking for a damn reason to be alive."

The young man name Marcus brought out a violin. He begin to play a lively tune. The girls begin to dance. Elena took my tequila and passed it around. I was given the bottle with one drink to kill the bottle off. I drank the last of the tequila and the girls pulled me into their dance.  I fell into the music and the beautiful woman dancing.

The men laughed and Jose started to sing.
" The moon is full and alive.
The world is silence.
Us Gypsies will dance and sing till the end.
No time for tears.
No times for goodbyes.
Time for laughter and love.
Life is long and need to be celebrated.
Death will come.
Better to laugh and dance till the end.
Thank you brother moon. Sister sun.
We are blessed with this night and our new friend."

I sat and talk with them till dawn.
They were kind and we did not discuss sadness.
Elena told me. " Can't live for yesterday. Today is what matters. Life isn't fair. But trick the rule makers and dance and sing. Be strong. Don't fall down to the liars and fool's.  Make them have concern for the free people who have dreams and want to love and be alive."

Jose gave me a hug and his address in San Diego. Told me. You are a Gypsy now. If you need a family. You have one now. The seven woman all gave me a kiss on the lips and I thank them for their kindness. I felt a happiness and a sadness when they left me on the Monterey beach.


 The sun was appearing from the east. I felt like today was going to be a good day.

                                Coyote
 







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Author's Note

A poem that was raw written in 1992. Added some more description and I hope you enjoy the story.

Reviews

[Sultry Sundance]

Coyote, I read deeply into your story, felt the joys, heard the laughter and music. Felt the free will of the Gypsee way and then was reminded of the blackness that clouds us when at the bottom of the line. This roller coaster ride we take, the climb is tough but worth the challenge.. going down happens to fast and too often. I felt so much for you reading this as if I had experienced this in my past. In 1992, I had just got out of the Air Force and began the harder part of my life. I am so glad you saw the new dawn in and felt it was a good day. The Gypsee's have it right, to wash away yesterday leaving bright new beginings for each new day. Stay well my friend. You have a calling and a purpose... you have reason to be here.

[emmajoy]

You make life seem so much better when you tell stories, true stories at that, John .. somehow you use experience in an unapologetic way as if whatever's just happened, you've accepted it and come out of a situation in a better frame of mind or with that something extra that was missing before. The following words, the way they use the word 'friend' just epitomise what friendship is about, it's accepting a person exactly how or she is ..'this is my ..'

' The young Gypsy man introduce me. "This is my lonely friend. I found him with a full bottle of tequila and twelve English lagers. He had the gypsy spirit in drink and I invited him to join us."

Isn't it odd that when we talk in the night with people, we are, very often, learning about selves and others in life .. what a wonderful lesson the following is ..

' I sat and talk with them till dawn.
They were kind and we did not discuss sadness.
Elena told me. " Can't live for yesterday. Today is what matters. Life isn't fair. But trick the rule makers and dance and sing. Be strong. Don't fall down to the liars and fool's. Make them have concern for the free people who have dreams and want to love and be alive."

[Linear]

And what a story.....excellent on so many levels....Bravo :o)

[Shep]

Yes, I really enjoyed it. In fact I fell in love with it. You are a great story teller my friend. Nicely done.

[Becky C Strukamp]

This was very much an enjoyable read. I love the stories you weave with poetry. So much passion conveyed. Excellent!!

This is amazing Cayote. Well written story. Out of your heart, and it was if I was there. So good job! thank you for sharing.

[Muse]

You embraced the moment...and it turned into an epic journey of food, drink, and dance. Your story telling is full of magic....very lovely to read.

[Art]

even though life can be a harsh trail of sadness and tears, there is more to life than just the sadness, it is left to us individually to find the joy and happiness that surrounds us, a balance of life will lead to a joyfull remembrance...nice work my friend...

[eleanorclaire]

This is beautiful. I especially love that it's so raw, that your emotions aren't tempered, they're passionate.

[kij143]

I think there were a few errors in convention, it however, took nothing away from the poem. It was rather lengthy but from the moment you started reading it you simply got taken away with the lyrical writing. thanks for sharing ! (:

[Odile RAZAFIMANDIMBY]

A moving and well written story. We are all potential gypsies. It's up to us to become one.