Angry Devil

The Devil called on me today in his usual uninhibited way, he took a bucket of cyclonic rain crashing it against my window pane. He pelted my roof for over an hour with raindrops so big, so full of power, at one time I thought the roof would leak, so finally I gave up trying to sleep.

I wondered what had upset him so and what he wanted me to know, at first I could not understand, why loudly he raged and beat his hands, he made the thunder shake my walls, the Devil’s annoyed, and he’s got balls…

So I waited for him to speak; to tell me what caused his fit of pique, I sat in my room quiet and still, then went to the window and leaned on the sill. I watched as he viciously vented his spleen; using thunder and lightning to light up the scene, his stage is set and all’s in place, he wants to meet me face to face.

That’s okay by me I’ve nothing to fear, I went to the bedroom and put on my gear, shorts and a T-shirt without any shoes, I’m dressed in black, no colourful hues. As I stepped through the door and onto the street the Devil’s tears were washing my feet.

I wondered where he’d set centre stage, and started to walk in the midst of his rage. It wasn’t long before I was soaked; the cigarettes in my pocket could not now be smoked, I took the path that led through the trees, then down to the pool I walked with ease. Out through the wall and into the night, then all of a sudden the place was just right, there’s a cemetery here from long ago; this is the place he wants me to go.

He appeared in my brain dressed all in red; the horns shone slickly on the side of his head, he gave no greeting, had a face full of hate, seems a Devil’s showdown is part of my fate. He told me “Take a look around, see all these gravestones in the ground, there’s no one left here for you to see, I’ve got them all, they’re now with me”. I took a look through the pelting rain, at an epitaph below a forgotten name, a long time ago it was carved with care, but the Devils’ dragged them into his lair. Another lost soul for him to claim, he looks on us all as being the same.

I looked at him then straight in the eye; asked him what had made him cry, what caused the overpowering rage that led us to this graveyard stage?

He replied “I was there two nights ago, but couldn’t get past the angels’ glow, it flowed around her and was far too deep, she was one I could not keep, I even gave Gabriel a hefty shove, as I tried to break through all that love, I never even touched her hand, could not get by that heavenly band, I tried in every way I could, but this one woman was far too good”.

I smiled then at the reality, that this meeting was not about him and me, standing in that cemetery no shoes on my feet, I realised the Devil is easy to beat. So I said to him “You can rant and rave, we’re safe from you inside our graves, we only need to do what’s right, show love, compassion, be a guiding light, to those around us that we love and adore, then, in your face Mr. Devil, we can slam the door”.

The storm raged on as I turned away, I’ll live to fight him another day, I made my way back still soaked to the skin, my feet were all wrinkled they looked pretty grim. Tossed off my clothes, got under the shower, scrubbed myself for half an hour, returned some heat to my body’s core and laughed at the reasons why the Devil got sore.

Feeling exhausted I went to bed, on the cool of the pillow I laid my head, my thoughts flew to home and you people there, your anguish, grief and deep despair. I can’t tell you what I’ve seen and heard, you’d probably think it’s too absurd, but I’ve laid the demon and quelled the beast, I can tell you now, Mum will rest in peace.

By the way, before I went to sleep, I asked the Lord your souls to keep!

T