The Man And The Hotel Bible

 He walked slowly into his room overlooking the sparkling open sea

He exhaled a heavy sigh now of both comfort and final relief.

This was the place that he loved and knew so very well,

Yet, today however, it would mark the inauguration of his journey to hell.

 Warm salty tears now welled furiously in the corners of his eyes

As he recalled that just days before was when his true love kissed him his last goodbye.

He laid down his pack walked over and sat silently on the bed.

He thought of the past, and the good times that he and his true love had.

 Guilt gripped him as he pondered his now solitaire life

As a sea of sorrows assailed him and cut his soul like a knife.

He reached now into the nightstand, which stood solid by the bed,

He wanted a pencil and paper to just jot down any last thoughts he might have had.

 It was then that he saw it in the corner of the nightstands busy drawer,

There lay an unused bible given by the Gideon’s society free of charge to this hotel by the shore.

He picked it up and began to thumb through its crisp and clean pages

And he thought of when he was but a young child growing up in church

where he and his mom would love to sing the song, “the rock of ages”

 He glanced up now and looked out to the sea through the large empty pane of glass.

He thought again of his true love and how she had promised their love would always last.

The desire to join her was all that was in his broken and bitter mind

Yet it was while holding that hotel bible, that he was reminded that he would be with her in due time.

 He now laid down the bible, and reached into the pack for his gun.

He walked out onto the balcony and stood heavy beneath the noonday sun.

Hard red tears rolled quickly down his swollen and haggard face,

as he mouthed the words to his true loves favorite song “amazing grace”

 He then without hesitation raised the gun slowly to his head,

He wept bitterly and then turned once more to see the bible on the bed.

He pulled back the hammer and prayed out loud… that he may now find his peace.

Then A sudden voice like thunder then billowed out and stilled the rolling sea.

 The air then grew calm, and the sea gulls ceased their flight,

and bowed their heads in reverence for the voice of truths holy light.

The mans hand began to quiver and his nerve did shake,

His grip on the gun was loosed as he fell submissively to his face.

 Warmth unknown now began to fill his sore and troubled heart,

and as he raised his eyes in unbelief

It was then that he saw on the horizon what looked like a dream,

chariots of gold were filled with angels racing across the sea.

 Nearer and nearer they came, singing of glory,

 and praising the Holy Ones name.

The man now raised himself and stood uneasy on his feet,

for leading the angels was his true love coming to him to greet……..

 He awoke now from this slumber on the hotels large double bed,

And for some strange reason, he found a hotel bible resting beneath his head.

He then looked outside at the glistening and glorious sea,

And he felt at last…at long last…a knowing and saving peace.

J. Allen Wilson © 12-27-05

 Watching the sun rise over Tybee