Rumor Mill Whiskey Innuendo Flying High Proof

somebody had
been there recently
a new board outed itself
on the clapboard siding but
it wasn't new it was just not
as old as the original boards
on the shack somebody had nailed
it to a perfect fit

the sawhorse
had a beer bottle
sitting on it red lipstick
ring around it the perfect target
for a hummingbird the gossip just buzzes
when them wings take flight

old jeans hanging on
the rope clothesline with
the whites of the pockets turned out
it was a statement rather than a drying method
sun reflecting off the copper rivets the zipper inviting
a scandal at the county courthouse tax records are open scuttlebutt

the town pipeline
anything but dry irrigating
the rumor mill whiskey after hours
innuendo flying high proof the bank
was going to see a deposit not shy of
blindside credited and posted before
closing hours

tin of saddlesoap
and a jar of honey
on a wooden chair on
the porch has made the
rounds it's why applesauce
sits next to dye the rumor in beet juice

Copyright Ms. Sage Sweetwater, Celebrity firebrand lesbian novelist