Chicken Liver

barbed wire on the splice
dust devil caught up in its own chaos
stranger over at the saloon throwin' dice
snake eyes and leather hides behind the cross

the mother wiped her hands on her apron
she washed the sin in lye the stew was done
daughters folded their hands in prayer they loaded the gun
their washed sunday dresses hung out to dry in the sun

town was quiet telegraph office sent for wyatt
visiting scandal had arrived stranger couldn't deny it
livery keep filin' the horse's bit to get it to fit blacksmith
fire was lit

chicken liver hangin' on a telegraph pole
in the center of town no judge was to be found
day turned into night of the foal darkened windows
of the soul caretaker diggin' the hole

coyote gave signal moon was filled out
full figure shadow lurched bell rang from the church
owl stood guard on its perch church organ pumped bullets
the music played a six-second dirge the full figure shadow
climbed out from the back of the organ the chicken liver bloody
lying on the ground the dirt claimed another the stranger lie dead
face down on the roulette his number up in red

Copyright Ms. Sage Sweetwater, Celebrity firebrand lesbian novelist