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Monday, December 27, 2021

the game


by horace p sternwall



jesse james was a natural man
who rode the earth with his own plan
bankers and bureaucrats trembled in their towers
because jesse was out there at at all hours

wyatt earp was a sober sort
who stayed at home to mind the fort
his ulterior motives were not hid
he was there to do what the bosses bid

sweet sue was a devoted schoolmarm
who never meant no one no harm
she knew that wyatt was built to last
but jesse made her heart beat fast

delilah jones was a creature of the night
over whom honest men did fight
in her young and girlish years
she left behind a trail of tears

old man mose was a philosopher mild
who left to others actions wild
he sat on the porch of the general store
but was bewildered more and more

mother hubbard had a sharp eye
and knew that sinners were born to die
to save them she did what she could
though their brains were water and their souls were wood

mr j p morgan sits in his chair
pulling the strings like a natural player
he knows what you want and will give it to you
when the sun goes down he gets the hoodoo

crazy sally walks the street
with yesterday’s news beneath her feet
hard working folk avert their eyes
in the sun and rain she gets by

these are the players on the board
all that the dreamers can afford
they move around and around and around
but the reason they do can not be found


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