A Bad Man

A Bad Man The dark cowboy wears a black hat, to tell all those he comes across that he is a bad man, before he says anything to them, with his gun. It is a fine hat, with a bright silver band, he took from a gambler... that cheated him, or at least, tried to. He was a good man once. He did all the right things. But fate found him, and destiny beat him up. Now he walks a line, of fire that leads directly to the great red doors of hell. His soul cries out, as he wanders the path alone... He wants to be different. Yet the price, of being good, and doing the right thing was at best hard to hold like a wild animal, much less easy to handle as a tamed horse. The Cowboy fell in love with a lady. She worked at the fancy tavern in town. She smiled at every man, but the bad man knew, she was all his. One night, like any other, but different this time... Another bad man shot a man, and he died. But he also shot the girl he was with. "Lila, sweet Lila don't die." News came to the cowboy, the bad man with the black hat. His reputation preceded him, and all were very afraid. Then, The cowboy ran to her side. His facade broken like ice on a river, and his hard shell cracked, like a tree splintered by lightning. Now... on his knees he finally found... his answer. The cowboy took his right hand, and removed his black hat. Now...his hat lay next to him on the floor. Losing the importance of our lives worth, gives us pause to consider our path. The loss of a pearl, among the treasures of life, is enough to shake any man... to his core, to his soul. Lila died that day. She died in the bad man's arms. But with her last breath she took the bad away, and told him to stay, and be happy. The cowboy, left the black hat on the floor, when he left, out the door... later that day.