My Joan of Arc…

 My Joan of Arc…

She painted her make-up upon perfect skin. She turned to me and she told me . I need my war face tonight. I rarely show my real face to anyone. I used to pray for perfect life. Now I pray to keep death away and find reasons to live.

She was my leather and lace. She was my black in heart beauty.  I told her. No perfect life my dear love. All of us had sins and create pain and hell. No perfect soul.  I have begged for mercy in the fire of love and I had ran from true salvation. You cannot repair the deeds of foolishness.

She laughed at my words and she came close to me. Whispered. “I use to pray for someone like you. Someone who would accept my scars and my heavy weight of regret. But, dead hearts and blind eyes cannot know love. You cannot save me. I don’t want to be saved.”

I kissed her tender lips and I brought her close. I told her. I have been dead for many years my love. My true face have been lost. I’m just a ghost of what I was. You and I. We are just people who almost had it all and now we must find some laughter, dance with the midnight moon and pray to the stars. To shed the skin of old and reborn anew.

She smiled and laughed. She questioned me. Can we shred our old skin and be born innocence my love? Can we forgive the past deeds and forget the sins done?

I told her. Sins and bad actions cannot be forgotten. We must move on and try not to repeat the same mistakes. Life is just lessons to make us wiser. Old poet wisdom. Life is tragedy, life is gestures of love and to live without fear. We must expose our true self. Open locked doors. Allow love to be sang into the blood, into the skin and we must eat love and life with a desperate need or we shall die. Tonight sweet lady we shall drink and dance. Forget the yesterday bad dreams.

Pretty woman smiled and she asked me. “Can Joan of Arc know peace? Burned body and heart, can it be rebirth in the flame of Summer hope and foolish Poet wish?”

Two people left the motel room. Hand in hand. Old Poet said a silent prayer. Please God of life and death. Forgive us who have sins. Life is hard and forgiveness is harder.”

                           John Castellenas/Coyote