Chapter one and two- Once upon a time

Once upon a time

 

A lone man is waiting for a friend. It is a hot Summer day in late June 2018. He is sitting by the lake at Stoney Creek. He watched the mamas and the children play and swim in the lake from a distance. He remember the prettiest girl he had ever knew. It was June 1973 and she was the girl with the flowers in her hair. He loved her Irish accent and her hazel eyes. She was a poet and wanderer. He wrote a poem into a almost filled journal.
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Lovely girl

Dear Abigail, Dear Abigail.
I lost you three times in my life of confusion,
we danced on fire and iron wishes.
We didn’t know,
life changes at her will.
Not ours.

 

Life is written in steel and ashes,
not hope and sweetness.
I do remember us.
I loved your cinnamon kisses and the long talks we had.

 

You were the first girl who notice me,
read my words with kind eyes.
Made me feel important.

 

Abigail, my keepsake wish,
I never could forget you.
The Fall of life is coming and
I remember you.

 

You and I,
We were ambrosia wine and Port Austin trips.
Once we made great promises and today.
We meet.

 

Maybe a final goodbye or the kindest hello? Maybe we learned.
We were running too fast,
we had love near and forgot to hold on.

 

_____________________________________

He remember her last words to him in 1973 when he was leaving for the Army training. “Johnnie, Johnnie. You want the damn Vietnam war. Please Johnnie, stay with me. The war will kill the poet, the kind man I know. You won’t return the same. You are following the Hemingway wish you hold closely. Hemingway killed himself. What did he learn? He knew love, he knew blood, he knew drink, he traveled and he died alone. Please dear Johnnie. Don’t begin a journey where you will learn realistic life. War does not teach us anything. Please stay with me. Escape to Port Austin, me and you, we could swim in Lake Huron and we could try to save our world. He remembered her tears and he didn’t know. She was right.

 

In 1975. In April, he remembered the final days in Vietnam. Once alive city was dying. He befriended many in the city of Saigon. He still see their faces at the gates as the USA Army escaped. Trying to escape before the city was overtook. He remembered, he wasn’t afraid. He stayed for an extra tour. He liked the stress of war. He was a supply sergeant, who could wheel and deal everything from guns to food. He forgot home and his family. He received letters from mother and Grandmother. Dear Abigail quit writing after no response for 18 months. He remembered he laughed at his ugly face. Vietnam made his tender soul become dark. Today he wondered. Was his soul, always black? He was sad to leave Vietnam. The drink was strong, the nights lasted forever and soldiers lived and die daily. Each new day. One more day to live. He wrote little now, once poet became the seeker, not the writer.

 

He kept every letter from his father, mother and grandmother. The letters from Abigail, he read today still. Her words were honey and sweet. She wrote a poem for him in her last letter.
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Live, please live and don’t forget me

 

Johnnie, Johnnie.
You found your damn war,
dear love,
did war teach you to forget me?
I pray for you everyday.
I pray you are safe and sound.

 

I see the TV,
soldiers dying and so many people being killed.
Please be safe and please remember.
I love the poet who danced with me at Port Austin.
Please don’t die and come back to me,
please be careful and remember.
I love you so.

 

Abigail (Sending a thousand kisses)

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He was awoken by the sound of the children near. He saw the mothers taking care of their babies. He looked at his watch. At noon, dear Abigail would come to Stoney Creek. Been 24 years since their last meeting. In two hours. Two different people will have a stand-off. He knew. He was the cold hearten one. Abigail try to save him twice. She hard a hard life and she had a good life. He knew life was fair. You decide your place and your journey.

Dancing Coyote

 

Once upon a time, Chapter two
The day was getting warmer. The beach was getting filled with children and mothers. I went to the food area. Ordered a coffee. I went to the small hill, away from the people. I wrote into my journal.
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1975

 

I was twenty years old,
I didn’t recognize the person in the mirror,
young face with the dead eyes looked back and I tried to find you Abigail in the Fall of 1975.

 

I went to her house,
her kind father was kind to me,
he made me stay and he told me.
Johnnie, my home is your home.
Abigail at Eastern Michigan,
she would need to see you.
Johnnie, are you okay?
If you need someone to talk to.
I saw shit in the Korea war and I can listen.
Please stay with me awhile.

 

I remember I stayed for one day and we talked on the phone.
You told me. Please come to me now.
I hung the phone-up and I told your father.
I fear I am gone.

 

Dear Abigail. I am sorry.
I left and I went back to the Army.
I know, I should have ran to you.

 

I left for Germany and I drank my blues away and
I could not forget your beautiful face.
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It was almost noon and I knew how she looked now. Abigail found me on a world poetry site. She saw her photo with me 1982 with one of my published poems. She was still a beauty. She wrote me. Johnnie, looking good and I have missed you. You fell off the map and disappeared. I am glad you are alive and well. Please contact me. We must talk, you must tell me your story and I can tell you my story. I wrote her. Dear Abigail, you are still as beautiful a Summer morning sun arising. I want to see you too. I am alone and I feel I shall die alone. She wrote back. Please call me Johnnie. Please call me now. We talked on the WiFi phone for hours. She me laugh and I knew. My dear soul mate was alone too and the kinds gods of life have give me another chance. Her voice, sweet as an angel breathe. I told her. Dear Abigail, I haven’t laughed in years.

 

Now I waited for her. I am scared to death. Will she care for an old man? Are we reaching for the sun and the stars that cannot be touched. I wrote in the journal.
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Dear Abigail

 

You made me laugh, you made me cry.
You were my first wish and you are now, my last wish.
Abigail dear Abigail.
My beloved.
I have loved you since you asked me to the Spring dance in 1972.
You were the prettiest girl I ever seen.
I remember we danced till we could not no-more.
You were my first love.
I didn’t know.
Love was so rare and so sweet.

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I closed the journal. I saw her from a distance. She was still slim and tanned, wearing a Summer dress over a bathing suit. Her hair down to her waistline and her face. So beautiful and perfect. I wanted to run away. She caught my eyes and she begin to run to me. I stood-up and I waited till she fell into my embrace. She whispered to me. “Damn Johnnie, damn Johnnie. Where you been? Why did you leave me? Please don’t leave again. I brought her closer and I whispered. Dear Abigail, my Abigail. Everyday of my life. I prayed, you did okay. She kissed my face and she whispered. “You won’t die alone. This time I will kidnap you and never release you.”

Dancing Coyote