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Open Poetry #21
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Poet deVine
Administrator
Member Seraphic
since 1999-05-26
Posts 22612
Hurricane Alley

0 posted 2002-07-04 11:27 AM



He strolled into our small town that day
a hat shading his face from the sun
little did I guess, as a child of ten,
through him, my life had just begun.

He was a stranger, dusty from travel
his boots were little more than soles
he carried a bulging pack on his shoulder
wore a gray shirt and jeans with holes

He came to our little run down motel
and rented a room for a week
I passed him on the way to school
he nodded, but didn’t speak.

I saw him sitting under the walnut tree
next to Jim, the mechanic’s shop
I stared at him as he wrote on a pad
he looked up but didn’t stop

My mom asked him to supper one night
he wore clean clothes, was freshly shaved
I watched his every movement
wanting to see how he behaved.

He said he spends his life on the road
no job, no home, no family
working at odd jobs just to exist
living his life totally free.

Later, I watched him as I did homework,
an essay for English class,
The stranger glanced at me once or twice
over the rim of his drinking glass.

He asked if he could read my work
and I handed it to him with dread
and when he finished, he smiled at me;
he told me he liked what he had read.

He told me he was a traveling poet
roaming the country trying to find
inspiration for his soul and
stimulation for his mind.

I asked to hear some of his work
though I thought all poetry was dull
but when he spoke I was lifted up
as I listened to his chronicle.


He recited to me, almost til dawn
words creating a world that was real
his intricate rhyming took me away
my heart opened up, my head began to reel.

Soldiers and knights, maidens fair and foul
were paraded before me that night
his voice soothed my childish heart
his stories set my restless soul alight.

Each night he stayed, we sat together
he regaled me with poems of every kind
fascinated, I sat transfixed
at the words that came from his mind.

One day I awoke to find he had gone
a farewell note stuck under my door
like any performer, the drifter knew
to leave his audience wanting more.

He told me to always remember him
to find joy in the written word
to be happy, and kind and always
remember the stories that I heard.

Since then I have a love for words
for poetry with and without rhyme
I hear them in the drifter’s voice
remembered in that far off time.

To this day, I treasure the gift of poetry
as I write, I’ll always hold it dear
and I often reread that wonderful note
signed, poetically, the Balladeer.

© Copyright 2002 Poet deVine - All Rights Reserved
Seymour Tabin
Member Empyrean
since 1999-07-07
Posts 31720
Tamarac Fla
1 posted 2002-07-04 11:37 AM


Poet deVine
You write so well, a delight to read.
all a result of a planted seed.

Martie
Moderator
Member Empyrean
since 1999-09-21
Posts 28049
California
2 posted 2002-07-04 11:37 AM


Sharon

What an enchanting story....left me wishing I had been that little girl and wondering what happened to the balladeer.  Beautifully told!  Is it true?

Poet deVine
Administrator
Member Seraphic
since 1999-05-26
Posts 22612
Hurricane Alley
3 posted 2002-07-04 11:38 AM


No..not true. It was written way back in Open 1!!!
SmartChick
Member Rara Avis
since 2001-09-23
Posts 7081
On A Journey To The Unknown
4 posted 2002-07-04 04:23 PM


This is very good, Sharon. I enjoyed reading it all the way to the end.Thank you for reposting it.
ethome
Member Patricius
since 2000-05-14
Posts 11858
New Brunswick Canada
5 posted 2002-07-04 04:27 PM


And you do a damn fine job writing your own potery, this poem story being a prime example.

How long did Michael stay at your place??     Smile~

Poet deVine
Administrator
Member Seraphic
since 1999-05-26
Posts 22612
Hurricane Alley
6 posted 2002-07-04 04:34 PM


You guessed it! Though I've never met the famous PiP Balladeer, this was written for him.
Sunshine
Administrator
Member Empyrean
since 1999-06-25
Posts 63354
Listening to every heart
7 posted 2002-07-04 06:00 PM



I can imagine him holding the attention of any audience, any time, any where...

Enchantress
Member Empyrean
since 2001-08-14
Posts 35113
Canada eh.
8 posted 2002-07-04 06:57 PM


Sharon, this is an amazing story...wonderfully told.
Thanks for reposting as I hadn't seen it before.
~Happy Forth of July Hugs~

Neeraja
Senior Member
since 2002-06-22
Posts 812
The Netherlands
9 posted 2002-07-10 12:40 PM


I enjoyed reading this!!!

Neeraja

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