The Traveling Friend

A weary traveler crossed my path
his transportation had expired,
his personality showing signs of wrath
or perhaps, he was merely tired.

He mentioned a guitar that he had
and how expensive it was in the marts,
that an eighty dollar price tag wasn't half-bad
and with the sale, he'd buy auto parts!

I saw he needed help from me
and, since I wanted to learn to play,
I bought the guitar -the case was free
and his auto would see another day.

He made it home to Silver Lake
I said, "I'd keep in touch..."
I thanked him for the great price, break
then he thanked ME, very much !

And, that's how I got THAT guitar
fortune had smiled down, on me...
and he was grateful for his car
he decided to celebrate, don't cha see.

Dempsy's Pub, is where he went
female advances, brought him trouble...
his face ended up most painfully bent
...sorry, to burst this guys bubble...

but, he plainly couldn't fight, you see
and was asked to leave...with, force;
too drunk to drive, he walked painfully
towards home, through the Lake's golf course.

All was forgotten, by the next day
with all, that was done and said...
but, out by the eighth-hole fairway
my weary traveler was found quite, dead.

The extent of all his injuries
caused him to fall, face-down...
and, in the early morning breeze
it appeared that, he had drowned !

My luck was somewhat better, though
I was alive, but what the heck...
a cop had recently rousted me, so
my guitar suffered a broken neck !

That instrument was, "my new baby"
and I held tight, 'til the glue took "hold"...
I nursed that guitar back, there was no "maybe"
I treated it as if it were, gold.

So, after all of my very hard work
my hands feeling rough, and swolen...
I met another man, this one a jerk
and my guitar ended up, quite stolen !

Well, another guitar has replaced my first
as this crazy tale winds, down...
the original "fiddle", must've been cursed
to have made so many people, frown.

I hope that curse has followed the "jerk"
and, that he gets his in the end;
being lifted from me, I can't help but "smirk"
as I remember, my traveling friend.