Knockin On Heavens Door

There are in this lifetime those things that get our attention as individuals and strike a chord in our soul.
For me one of these things is the song by Bob Dylan, Knockin On Heavens Door. This song really “sings” to me. It was a favorite of my sons; only he preferred the version by Guns and Roses. Late at night he and I would occasionally play that song on our black Strats in the living room. Me on the couch and him sitting on the floor opposite me with his black Strat plugged into his Fender amp with an electric pink cable.
He always got this intense look on his face with his bottom jaw pushed forward as he concentrated on something.
I am really starting to like the Guns and Roses version.

Eric; my son held my daughters first child; Nathaniel. 5 years later Eric held my daughters second child; Anthony. 5 years after that last night; Eric was not here to hold my daughters third child; a beautiful new baby girl, Erica.

5

V
In that place between asleep and awake there is a surreal comfortable feeling that exists nowhere else. No matter where you are and no matter the circumstances surrounding you if you can find that place it is wonderful. But it doesn’t last long.

I awoke with a start and a feeling of confusion and fear. I instinctively held my breath and started looking into the shadows for whatever it was that startled me.

At first I saw nothing, but then there, over by the hedgerow across the street; there’s something there.

I couldn’t see what it was but I could feel it. There was something definitely there!

Suddenly to my right there was a movement slow and confident something totally unafraid. My heart stopped for a moment when I realized the cans didn’t rattle and there were no breaking bottles or slamming dumpster lids.

I quickly became aware of the stench, the smell of rotting flesh coming to me on the warm breath of the beast.

He knew I was there and could have, should have killed me quickly but it was hesitant for some reason. It seemed to not trust the surroundings or something.

Why wasn’t I dead? What was this Dark Warrior waiting for?

All of this seemed to take minutes but was actually going by in a matter of seconds I was already moving as I thought of these things. Scrambling backwards as though I were on the beach trying to avoid the surf.

I knew I couldn’t escape but I wasn’t going down easy.

Suddenly a quick flash of movement from across the street, the hedgerow. The beast turned quickly noticing the movement at the same time. I heard a slight noise but couldn’t place the sound and just as quickly noticed the panic look on the beasts face.

There was a different sensation now, something warm and sticky dripping on me. At first as the Dark Warrior leaned forward and stepped toward me I thought it must be its saliva.

But then I couldn’t see the bright yellow eyes! But I saw something else. There was a long shiny shaft protruding from one of those yellow eyeholes. As the beast turned and fell backward there was another movement from the hedgerow. Something, someone; had vanished back into the bushes just as it had appeared.

I stood quickly and moved over to the monster lying on the street unmoving, not breathing, no longer living!

I felt the smooth silver shaft sticking out of its head, grabbed hold of it and pulled it from the socket.

There were six razors at the end of the shaft culminating in a point. In the middle of the shaft there was painted a small red heart.

Shame on us!

GODDAMN DISGRACE!!
Where the hell is the help? Almost one week after that Bitch Katrina hit the Gulf Coast the people of New Orleans are dying from dehydration and starvation while the Mayor of that city and the Governor of Louisiana are sitting comfortably on high ground somewhere else doing NOTHING!!
Where the hell is the city of New Orleans emergency response? Where the hell is the Louisiana State Office of Emergency Services or Health Services or Social Services?
Where the hell is our federal government and the military?
We can go to the other side of the fucking world and fight the 3rd largest army in the world and provide food and water and medical attention to a couple hundred thousand soldiers but we can’t go to New Orleans and provide for Americans!!!
GODDAMNIT!!
Where in the fuck are all those big mouth, bleeding heart millionaire Hollywood movie star assholes? They’re all so quick to stick their ugly mugs in front of the news cameras and criticize the government and everyone when it benefits them and doesn’t cost them anything, but now that their money and influence is truly needed by their country, the country that is responsible for their fame and fortune; they’re nowhere to be found!
These people need help and they need it NOW!
The Mayors and Governors of these disaster stricken areas need to be fired and publicly humiliated for the shitty little crapweasels they are!