Meeting Mr. Diel Poem by Randy McClave

He told me his name
As he walked towards me lame,
His name was Mr. Diel
And I met him wearing a smile.
I was in the town of Dalkeith
On holiday walking next to the river Leith,
I was in the country where my ancestors came from
And returning home I did come.
Seemingly Mister Diel knew all about me
But, it was the first time him I did ever see,
Then he started showing me all about
To the north and then the south.
He knew everyone that lived or had lived there
And not for many did he really care,
He told me who could and couldn't be trusted
And who had cheated, lied, stolen, sinned and got busted.
He knew a lot about everybody
No matter how elegant or even how shoddy,
About everyone he had something to say
And he did exactly that everyday.
He seemed like a very pleasant old man
To help me he did all that he can,
He showed me the town that I was visiting
As though I was getting a christening.
One day while alone in a restaurant I took a seat
Some Scottish food I was excited to eat,
The waitress saw me and then she came over
And then she hesitantly took my order.
I then thought that I had heard her calling me a jerk
Under her well hidden smirk,
Then when she brought my food over to me
Anger in her eyes I did truly see.
I then asked her what her problem was
With the people and her country I was in love,
She then stood and about her behavior to me she spoke
She said she heard that I was a mouthy and a hateful bloke.
She heard that I believed that I was better than them all
That's I lie I said, I never made that assumption or call,
Then when that restaurant I had finally left
I believed that we all felt some bereft.
Then as I again began my exploration and walking
People at me were suspiciously pointing and talking,
Then I stopped inside a local Church
For answers I needy to search.
There I then met the old local Pastor
Who proudly proclaimed our Lord Jesus as his master,
I then told the Pastor what was going all around
How lies about me were told and now bound.
I told him about all the remarks and the lies
As I wiped tears and sorrow for my eyes,
The Pastor then looked at me and then he said
When did I started feeling and hearing this sadness and dread.
I then told the Pastor when I first started feeling this sadness and regret
It was just after Mr. Diel I had met,
Then the Pastor spoke to me freely
And then I thanked him really.
Though he doesn't seem a backstabber, liar and a hater
Mr. Diel the Pastor said, he is an instigator,
He has done this many times before
He likes it when the soul is weak and broken and poor.
I then took the bus and I headed back to Edinburgh city
Because, I felt so much sadness and pity,
My holiday lasted about another week
Then I headed home quickly like a streak.
This adventure happened to me many years ago
When I also visited the Highlands of Scotland and Glasgow,
That time I tried honestly to not explain, but forget
That fact I will most honestly admit.
I recently found the notes that I had written then
I look at them and I read them when I feel as though I did sin,
Just now while I was word checking in my Scottish Gaelic dictionary
I came across a word definition quite extraordinary.
I inadvertently came to the name Diel
As I read the meaning and the definition I no longer did smile,
Diel means Devil In Scottish Gaelic
Then I felt scared and very sick.
I now remember another story that was told
By the Pastor who was both biblical and wise and old,
When the Devil was tossed from heaven and unto Earth he came
He landed on the Earth so hard, that it caused his one leg to go lame.

Randy L. McClave