Ballad in A

A Kansan plays cards, calls Marshall

a crawdad, that barb lands that rascal a slap;  

that Kansan jackass scats,

camps back at caballada ranch.

Hangs kack, ax, and camp hat.

Kansan’s nag mad and rants can’t bask,

can’t bacchanal and garland a lass,

can’t at last brag can crack Law’s balls,

Kansan’s cantata rang at that ramada ranch,

Mañana, Kansan snarls, I’ll have an armada

and thwart Law’s brawn,

slam Law a damn mass war path.

Marshall’s a marksman, maps Kansan’s track,

calm as a shaman, sharp as a hawk,

Says: That dastard Kansan’s had

and gnaws lamb fatback.

At dawn, Marshall stalks that ranch,

packs a gat and blasts Kansan’s ass

and Kansan gasps, blasts back.

A flag flaps at half-mast.