warden, she's

got a search warrant

for the steam-powered

mill, sawdust flying, fire

on the mountain, lightning

in the air,


bootleg trappers

disposing of the

hides, black smoke

rolling, rancid odor

from burning pelt,

dismantling the still,

whiskey running in the

river, fire on the mountain,

lightning in the air,


bootleg smuggling ring

channeling to beaver

buyers, warden, she puts a

bullet through the steam gauge,

steam hissing, boiler room goes dim,


she snaps

off a shot, cuts

mill worker's hat brim,

he supplements larders with

fresh, poached venison,


lesbian allegations,

beaver equations

from nine to five,

the sex so alive, 

lumberman's wife

rounds the pile of logs,

she's got a lot of guts,

tipped off the warden, her

husband's going to trial, she's

going to the warden to collect the 

legal smoking beaver, lumberman's

wife with keen sense of smell, detects

beaver across three counties, with or

against the wind, fire on the mountain,

lightning in the air...


Copyright 2006 Sage Sweetwater, firebrand lesbian novelist