Open Poetry #4 |
A Single Shot |
John Yaws Senior Member
since 1999-10-09
Posts 860Texas |
Every time I pass the place- He makes his bed tonight. Teardrops well within my eyes, And tend to blur my sight. Four feet of dry south Texas clay- A cover for his bed- A stone with careless lies engraved- Adornment at the head. “Beloved father”? what a joke- Genetic truth,... I guess- .. “A friend to all who knew him”? A falsehood at it’s best. Yet comes to dearness to my heart- There’ll never be another... To ever take his place nor part, He was my younger brother. Wild and reckless in our youth, I find it passing strange, That I, the worst by far of two Should be the one to change. I was the one that people said- “Would die a violent death” I was the drifting outlaw type- Who lived on borrowed breath. But I grew up, as he grew old- No longer were we close, The things he loved, I learned to hate The alcohol the most... And then one Friday night he met- The fate which lay in store... A coward with a loaded gun... Him, dead upon the floor.. Miss him? you don’t know the half- I guess I always will- You’d be surprised how many souls A single shot can kill. In memory of my brother Ronnie, murdered June 7, 1996. I still miss him. [This message has been edited by Gunslinger (edited 12-08-1999).] |
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© Copyright 1999 John R. Yaws - All Rights Reserved | |||
Munda Member Elite
since 1999-10-08
Posts 3544The Hague, The Netherlands |
It touched my soul, Gunslinger, and brought a tear to my eyes. |
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Mike Member Elite
since 1999-06-19
Posts 2462 |
Well done. |
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Tara Simms Senior Member
since 1999-08-12
Posts 1244Honea Path, SC USA |
There's so much feeling in this, Gunslinger. Beautiful writing, as I've come to expect from you. So much truth in the last stanza. God bless you. It matters not how strait the gate; How charged with punishments the scroll; I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul. --W.E. Henley |
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Balladeer
Administrator
Member Empyrean
since 1999-06-05
Posts 25505Ft. Lauderdale, Fl USA |
Those last two lines are worth the price of admission. Well written, gs. I wish there had been no reason to write it. To the world you might be just one person but to one person you might just be the world. |
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Sally S. Senior Member
since 1999-06-07
Posts 847Ohio |
I'm really very sad your family endured something like this. I could feel both your pain and anger in this one, slinger. |
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First__Knight Senior Member
since 1999-11-08
Posts 678 |
Very moving and mastered. We gain virtues in this life that can be had no other way except enduring pain. My heart you Gunslinger Share what you are for you are what you share |
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Marge Tindal
since 1999-11-06
Posts 42384Florida's Foreverly Shores |
My hat's off to you, Slinger. Wonderful tribute to Ronnie. You are some kinda' guy. Thank you for allowing us to share in this moving tribute. Love ~*Marge*~ ~*The pen of the poet never runs out of ink, as long as we breathe.*~ [email protected] |
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Nan
Administrator
Member Seraphic
since 1999-05-20
Posts 21191Cape Cod Massachusetts USA |
This is exceptional, GS.... I have to echo Balladeer on this one. The last two lines are brilliant... and so sadly true... |
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hoot_owl_rn Member Patricius
since 1999-07-05
Posts 10750Glen Hope, PA USA |
I am sorry for your loss GS, but you told the story well. Thanks for giving us a glimpse into lifes tragdies in such a poetic manner |
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Fred Hobbs Member
since 1999-06-08
Posts 329Tallahassee, Florida, US |
Gunslinger, An excellent tribute and an excellent poem! You couldn't have done it better. |
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