Again, Good Luck, My Friends!
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
Ballad Of
Maggie & Stevie
By
Francis William Bessler
Note:
This is a story as I know it about a 59 year old grandmother by the name of Maggie and her 14 year old granddaughter by the name of Stevie. Previously I related much of the earlier part of this story in an essay (blog) I called SAGA OF MAGGIE & STEVIE - which I wrote on September 8th of this year. You can review that story if you wish in the blog feature of my website - www.una-bella-vita.com. I do not wish to retell that story here, though I will admit my story is as much a story without a beginning as it is a story without an ending - simply because I am mostly ignorant of the history of these two - Maggie & Stevie.
My story begins with the time we (friend, Nancy Shaw, and I) met these two - and does not take into account their history. Their future also remains untold, but hopefully it will be less confounding than their past. In any case, here in poetic form is my tale that should be taken as the reader wishes.
My thanks to two previous strangers - Maggie & Stevie - for making it possible. We can all learn from other persons lives. That I Believe; but it is up to each of us to choose that which we wish to learn. Right? Thanks! FWB.
Nancy and I met this homeless couple
while we were in the sticks.
while I was waxing my car without a stitch.
Young Stevie approached unknown
and asked us to give them some help.
You see, their old car had died,
and they were a bit overwhelmed.
and told them to call us if they had a need;
and sure enough, the very next day,
they called to tell us please.
Please come to where we are.
Our car has died again.
So we fetched them from the woods;
and
Then we looked in the local want ads
hoping to find them a place to stay.
We found them a little apartment,
but moving in was weeks away.
The apartment needed repair
and time was needed to fix it;
but Maggie & Stevie could paint it
and get a break on first month's rent.
So, we all willingly dove in
to make the apartment right;
and we painted it with fresh new color,
making it more acceptable to our sight.
Little did
but Maggie & Stevie had lots of junk
they were storing in another town
from where their lives had become defunct.
But Nancy & I rented a big truck -
for that was Maggie's request;
and we went to that other town
to move their belongings to another rest.
When I saw all they had,
I did not hesitate to call it fluff
because the new apartment
was not big enough for all that stuff.
For me, anything is junk
that cannot be easily used.
It does not matter if it's priceless.
It's junk if it fills up a room.
So many in this life
have more than they need
and they think the more they have,
the greater will be their security.
But security is not a thing
that can be outside driven.
It comes from within the soul.
The trivial cannot enhance the living.
But Maggie & Stevie are of the mind
that the greater the amount of clothes,
the more chance they would have
to somehow be among the known.
But what is known is not them,
but the clothes that they have on.
The real person cannot be dressed
to make itself different than its true john.
People use clothes to hide themselves,
but can hiding do anything
than allow a person to run from life
as if escape should be king?
Still, we moved all their stuff in;
and sure enough, it became junk
because the little apartment was so full;
and their lives again became defunct.
If you cannot move around
for having too much stuff,
no matter how good something might be,
it can still become too much.
Anyway, these two moved in with their stuff,
but soon Maggie became sick.
She collapsed from exhaustion
and to the hospital she was sent.
They say she had pneumonia
and she needed lots of rest.
So after she left the hospital,
back to
Knowing they could not have a home
where they could not move around,
while Maggie slept at
we moved much that did confound.
We rented a bin from Skyline Storage
and practically ransacked their place;
but while Maggie was at
we made a home which had lacked a face.
Maggie & Stevie now have a home
in which they can actually move around.
Their car died on them and was junked,
but they can still walk around the town.
They have a pet turtle
and a little doggie they call "Honey".
Let's hope it will turn out well for them
and this will become a happy story.
Now, all of this took a lot of effort
and a lot of dedication too.
Stevie needs to go to school
and be informed of the truth.
And the truth is that Life is Splendid
and does not need refinished.
But we need to look at life itself
to find ourselves not diminished.
All of us are miracles
because all of us are Divine.
We need to pay attention to that truth
to know our lives are just fine.
I am glad that Maggie & Stevie
now have gained a new start.
Here's hoping that all of us will learn
all that matters is our hearts.
Until next time, Adieu!
Your Bella Vita host,
Will Bessler
(Francis William Bessler)