The wanderer (Archived)

He’s wandering, wandering.
Walking from town to town.
Alon in the sun, guitar slung across his back.
Singing for his supper.
His contract brings him back.
Back to, Back to -
Hollywood.
It’s in the contract to be back on time.
To make a few movies
-They make money
And go to some parties.
-Connected to famous actresses.
He’s a big star.
Told to keep fit and the haircut must stay the same too.
He can sing for his supper
Wander
but please do come back.
Do, Do
Return to Hollywood.
His safe place from danger.
House in the hills.
Where he can hide from the media
and from where he can hide under his on screen persona
Of a Latin lover. Mysterious loner.
American Rebel - Rides a motorcycle.
Plays his guitar and is known, when asked politely, to sing on occasion.
His roles are changing -
Playing the father.
Being the elder around a fire.
Favourite uncle.
Wandering
‘Til his knees stiffen.
Communist threats and clashes.
Loses his contract.
No denying: he’s getting older.
Thinning hair and wrinkles deepen.
Allowed to wander and why does he wander so?
‘Cause he has lost a close friend.
Needed to clear his head - he was getting restless.
So he wandered
Through valleys, sleeping under the stars.
And grieving.
Breathing.
Now it’s his life.
Has to work harder for his parts.
Audition, Audition.
but he’s content to wander while he grows older.
And he leaves Hollywood
Pain in his heart ‘cause he’s losing another.
Auditioning for parts in the theatre.
Making do with parts on television.
The pace is slowing, he sleeps on a friends couch and he accepts a job pumping gas.
Wandering when he likes and now he’s too tired to wander far.
Visiting the grave of the friend he lost.
And Hollywood? He does not look back.
They were good times and he was young.
55 years old now.
Mopping floors of a local diner.
Just to keep his head above water.
Is eating so important - he wants to wander.
Sleeps on the bus.
The bus he takes to get to his other job - Mopping floors of a local school.
Makes a call.
His agent is not picking up the phone.
Sleeping on the couch of his friends friend
And he feels that this city is closing in on him
chasing him to his grave
giving him no air to breathe
and no escape
Even when he sleeps he dreams-
He was never this concerned about money before.
Trying to get a foot on the first rung of the ladder.
Now this wandering actor is busking.
More alone than he ever was and feeling it too.
Alone in the city.
A scary place to be.
Trying to earn a dollar
for his supper
and to repay the kindness of his ‘friends’
Now he’s a bum
living on the streets
eating out of bins
the only light's he sees are the newly put up traffic lights on 35th street.