Blue Steel for Hire

[couchgrouch]

Blue Steel for HirePigeons drank from potholes, on a rainy Tucson nightwhere Joey sat on stakeout, near the southeast sidehis partner was getting dinner, and Joey was feeling tensewatching some cantina, through a telephoto lenseword was that a hitman, was holed-up in that barand they needed to find out, his hire and his markit's mostly business partners, and a few crazy wiveswho'll cough up five hundred, for no questions and a lifeand it's blue steel for hirein the back rooms, of dark saloonswhere crawling spirits gono mercy...no quarter, then back across the borderto a hut in Mexicothere's always a buyerwhen it's blue steel for hirethe moon peeked through midnight clouds, like a toe through some old sockSherri walked back with burgers, from a diner down the blockJoe and her had been partners, for going on two yearshe worried what they were doing, would ruin their careersSherri moved in closer, for the warmth of Joey's handbut that night it felt chilly, from his shiny wedding bandand Joey's soggy burger, was mostly pickle and bunso he tossed those pigeons, sesame seeds and crumbsbut it's blue steel for hirein the back rooms, of dark saloonswhere crawling spirits gono mercy...no quarter, then back across the borderto a hut in Mexicothere's always a buyerwhen it's blue steel for hirewell, they'd watched that tavern, since earlier that dayand Sherri started wond'ring, 'bout a door in the alleywaybut Joe sat there thinking, of his marriage and his jobhow the captain might put Sherri, in a diff'rent squaddawn was a golden razor, shaving shadows from the streetthough Joe and Sherri'd argued, friction causes heatso they barely saw the barrel, from the corners of their eyesand when that pistol rang out, those pigeons took the skyand it's blue steel for hirein the back rooms, of dark saloonswhere crawling spirits gono mercy...no quarter, then back across the borderto a hut in Mexicothere's always a buyerwhen it's blue steel for hire(c)2004 Robert George