haunted saloon

~

I strolled back to the haunted saloon

arrived floating

swung the bat-wings aside

one fell off its hinge, disintegrated

into a pile of dust as

the wings on the heels of my hiking boots fluttered by

what a relief

finally floating after all these earth-bound years

“I’ll have a double” said I

to the barmaid, Mary

ahhhhhhh Mary

Holy Mary

our favorite Mary

   amen & hallelujah…

~

~

narrative by Rawclyde

!

artwork by Ravenari & Lajuls

Deviant Art

~

Col. Sheena Johnson

~~~

by Rawclyde!

~~~

One girl-soldier on my crew fought off

5 wanna-be rapists in her platoon

Killed them & did not get caught

Her blood-lust knew no bounds when it came to the Taliban

~

500 mysteriously disappeared while she ranged around

Out of uniform for one month in northeast Afghanistan

After which she was promoted to Colonel

This included 3 Waziristan villages that she leveled

(Nobody knows how and, anyway, it’s just a rumor)

~

She was assigned to nurture an ill-conceived outpost

Deep in the mountains, so deep it scratched the back

Of Pakistan & consequently was doomed until

She got there & winked at her suddenly happy soldiers

~

They got so charged-up just looking at her

They paved a crumbling rock road with asphalt

For 100 miles before lunch time & without a break

Nobody but one village urchin knows where they got the asphalt

~

Then one freezing morning she & her sparse gear were gone

The outpost fell into an endless & bottomless depression

Until they found a dead Talib with an arrow in his back

Suddenly they knew ~ the Colonel wasn’t gone at all

~

Now the soldiers at this craven location pull guard duty

With smiles on their faces & joy in their hearts

‘Cuz every so often when least expected they catch a glimpse

     Col. Sheena Johnson stalking Taliban in the snarky shadows…

~

excerpt from

the

2014

epic

Afghaneeland

(free read)

~

brother love’s traveling salvation show

~

Hot August night
And the leaves hanging down
And the grass on the ground smellin’ sweet
Move up the road to the outside of town
And the sound of that good gospel beat
Sits a ragged tent
Where there ain’t no trees
And that gospel group tellin’ you and me
It’s Love, Brother Love, say
Brother Love’s Traveling Salvation Show
Pack up the babies and grab the old ladies
And ev’ryone goes, ’cause everyone knows
Brother Love’s show
.

~

~

Room gets suddenly still
And when you’d almost bet
You could hear yourself sweat, he walks in
Eyes black as coal
And when he lifts his face
Ev’ry ear in the place is on him
Starting soft and slow
Like a small earthquake
And when he lets go
Half the valley shakes
.

~

~

It’s Love, Brother Love, say
Brother Love’s Traveling Salvation Show
Pack up the babies and grab the old ladies
And ev’ryone goes, ’cause everyone knows
Brother Love’s show

~

~

Take my hand in yours
Walk with me this day
In my heart I know, I will never stray
Halle, halle, halle, halle
Halle, halle, halle, halle
It’s Love, Brother Love, say
Brother Love’s Traveling Salvation Show
Pack up the babies
And grab the old ladies and ev’ryone goes
I say, Love, Brother Love, say
Brother Love’s Traveling Salvation Show
Pack up the babies
And grab the old ladies and ev’ryone goes…

~

~

wrote & sung by

Neil  Diamond

~

1972

~

Let It Be

~

When I find myself in times of trouble
Mother Mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be

And in my hour of darkness
She is standing right in front of me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be
Yeah, let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be

When the broken hearted people
Living in the world agree
There will be an answer, let it be

For though they may be parted
There is still a chance that they will see
There will be an answer, let it be
Yeah, let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be
There will be an answer, let it be

Yeah, let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be
You know there’s gonna be an answer, let it be

And when the night is cloudy
There is still a light that shines on me
Shine on until tomorrow, let it be

I wake up to the sound of music
Mother Mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be

Let it be, oh no, let it be, let it be, let it be
There will be an answer, let it be, let it be
You know there’s gonna be an answer, let it be
Oh, let it be

~

sung by Paul McCartney

art by Lajuls

~

silent night

~

Silent night, Holy night
All is calm, all is bright
Round yon virgin, mother and child
Holy infant, tender and mild
Sleep in heavenly peace
Sleep in heavenly peace.

~

~

Silent night, Holy night
Son of God, love’s pure light
Radiant beams from thy holy face
With the dawn of redeeming grace
Jesus, Lord at thy birth
Jesus, Lord at thy birth.

~

~

Silent night, Holy night
Shepherds quake at the sight
Glories stream from heaven above
Heavenly hosts sing Hallelujah
Christ the Savior is born
Christ the Savior is born.

~

editor

rawclyde

!

here come the bonanza boys !

~

we’re ridin’ in

for supper & biscuits

horses panting

minds ranting

girls scatter

sister trembles in

her room

door closed

johnny mathis croons low

we are ridin’ in

the corral gate swings wide

clods flung high

horse sweat a splash

dishes crash

we’re not waiting

we refuse to be late

for our last date

with you…

~

(Copyright Clyde Collins 2023)