revival tent
McCabe held
her Bible to vent,
"I Fought The Law
and the Law Won,"
she wasn't done,

I walked
through the
tent flap door,
fell to my knees
on the sawdust floor,
took out my bottle of
whiskey, laid down my
nativity scene I carved
from Aspen, laid 'em all
down, Jesus, angels, candle
sticks from dried fruitless branches
of the olive tree, "Bethlehem to ya,
McCabe!" my pagan talent held her
eye,

"Someone ordain
this firebrand woman,
Blessed Be an' it harm
none, do what ye will!"
McCabe woke my whiskey
takin' a nap in the sawdust
manger, her blue eyes drank
in my lust, "I Fought The Law
and The Law Won," she lit the
censer, smudged the congregation
with cinnamon balsam,

I remembered the
sweet smell of whiskey
on her breath that night,
the jewelry fit tight, silver
handcuffs, she sang "I Fought
the Law and the Law Won,"
McCabe drunk, probation over,
I'm no longer the law, still a pagan,
she's a Christian and sober,

revival tent
I stood with
my bottle of
whiskey to vent,
Waylon's spirit fed
me the lines, "She's
a Good-Hearted Woman,"
enough said...


Copyright 2006 Sage Sweetwater, firebrand
lesbian novelist