Max Martin's Death Wish, Part I
When Max Martin rode into town
he found Juanita, tanned and brown,
as she worked her shift tearing bar,
he walked up and ordered a drink.
She looked over the dust-swept man,
who seemed as if he’d once been grand,
but now his face had hidden scars,
like a person pushed to the brink.
And so she asked,’What got you blue?”
He looked at her, but stared right through,
then simply asked,”Have you heard talk
of an outlaw named Red Maline?”
A cold anger came to his eyes
and Juanita realized
that this man was here on a stalk,
he’d not come west to build a home.
He said,"With him my revenge lies,
I’ll kill him and then I can die.”
Juanita flinched at his grim words,
that lacked joy, happiness, and verve.
“Malone rides with a bandit crew,
it’s not wise to tussle with him.”
But Max just said,”I have no choice,
her murdered my wife, and my boy,
there may be joy in life for you,
all that’s left is my purpose grim.”
She looked away, and hid a tear,
said,”Sometimes they will come in here,
though rarely do they come at once,
I could point them out when they show.”
He said,”You’d put yourself at risk,
are you sure you want to do this?”
She said,”I’ve seen what they have done,
and it’s time their evil did go.”
She said,”Maybe you are the guy
to make these vile brigands die.”
So Max would sit in the saloon,
arriving there most days at noon,
until at the end of the week
Juanita called him aside,
pointed out a man with black hair,
“That’s Red Malone’s man there,
they say rider's money he seeks,
and by no law will he abide.”
Max followed the man when he left,
and Malone’s man went to his death,
Max came back and he made boast,
nor did he make claim on bounty.
It was the talk all through the bar,
and word of it soon spread out far,
there in Juanita’s well-worn roost,
the hidden hero drank whiskey.
She said to him,"With me you’ll lie,
for making that murderer die...”
CONTINUES IN PART II.
Copyright © David Welch | Year Posted 2020
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