Monday, March 18, 2019

Ballad in A by Cathy Park Hong

Ballad in A
 
A Kansan plays cards, calls Marshall
a crawdad, that barb lands that rascal a slap;  
that Kansan jackass scats, 
camps back at caballada ranch.
 
Hangs kack, ax, and camp hat. 
Kansan’s nag mad and rants can’t bask,
can’t bacchanal and garland a lass, 
can’t at last brag can crack Law’s balls,
 
Kansan’s cantata rang at that ramada ranch, 
Mañana, Kansan snarls, I’ll have an armada
and thwart Law’s brawn,
slam Law a damn mass war path.
 
Marshall’s a marksman, maps Kansan’s track, 
calm as a shaman, sharp as a hawk,
Says: That dastard Kansan’s had
and gnaws lamb fatback.
 
At dawn, Marshall stalks that ranch,
packs a gat and blasts Kansan’s ass
and Kansan gasps, blasts back.
A flag flaps at half-mast.

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