Execution Style
Sonny hid behind the melons
In a busy Asian marketplace,
Near the plantains and the mangos
Where the shadows could obscure his face.
He inhaled the air around him
And enjoyed the fragrant scent of spice:
Nutmeg, cumin, coriander...
Made him hungry for some curried rice.
Sonny started in the Sixties
As an intern on a grassy knoll.
Earned another quick promotion
When he doubled down on Hoffa’s soul.
Schooled in basic economics,
Sonny only took his pay in cash.
When he heard from Tiger Jimmy,
He agreed there’d be no muzzle flash.
Tiger Jimmy had his reasons
To be coming down on Pinky Lee.
They’d been rival pimps for decades.
Time had fueled their animosity.
It was something they both lived for,
Like a game of chance to wager on.
Pinky Lee had played his gambit.
It was Jimmy’s turn to move his pawn.
For the hit on Saigon Ruby,
Jimmy cautioned, "Keep your powder dry."
Sonny nodded in agreement;
Didn’t think about the reason why.
Took the night train to Jakarta,
Drinking Stoli in a Pullman car.
Checked in later at a villa
He once shared with Pablo Escobar.
Sonny’s steely nerves were edgy,
But the feeling couldn’t please him more.
He would soon release the tension
Snuffing Pinky’s favorite high-end whore.
It was Tiger Jimmy’s answer
To what Pinky’d done the month before;
Just another sordid chapter
In the saga of their cathouse war.
Needing something firm to occupy
The sweaty palm inside his fist,
The stiletto in his pocket
Was a comfort he could not resist.
It was confident and pointed,
Meant for punctuation in the dark.
Sonny liked to close a sentence
With a trauma, not a question mark.
He stood silent in the darkness
As he heard her footsteps drawing near,
Backed against a recessed doorway,
Set to pounce upon her from the rear.
His intention was to jump her
Like a panther stuns its hapless prey,
With her jugular his target;
Slice her clean and make his getaway.
Sonny timed it so he’d nail her
As she sauntered by La Belle Argonne,
Heading home to Pinky’s Palace
After servicing her Saudi john.
He’d be on her in an instant
And relieve her of her OPEC swag;
Place an ace of clubs beside her,
Just so Pinky knew who made the tag.
Ruby spun around to face him
With a glimmer in her almond eyes,
And her body language hinted
It was worth delaying her demise.
In a moment of seduction,
Her advances made him stop and smile.
Sonny lowered his defenses,
Then she kissed him execution style.
[Wicked guitar solo]
Sipping Champagne in the parlor,
Ruby licked her lips and lounged about.
She was in The Tiger’s Penthouse,
Watching Jimmy count the money out.
Then she raised a toast to honor
Tiger Jimmy as her brand new boss.
Since she flipped the switch on Pinky,
She’s been mistress of the double cross.
Copyright © Michael Kalavik | Year Posted 2021
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