rocky raccoon
           cowboy in the
dust of somewhere / nowhere
                                        leaning
into a quicksilver sunset,
hands tied in twisted
ropecords, each knot
a secret no one knows

who
        pulls the trigger?
hands, trembling
                like the last bird
that fell from sky
                splayed wide—flesh    
and bone paint the prairie
                                    /flawed
with the stain of not being fast enough
but this
             is cowboy's life
no slowness in
                the click
of a gun /
                    but the final breath
          like wind
                           whistling
     through bonechamber
     between ribs—an afterthought.

        (the sheriff's a ghost, a thin rope
of smoke, and eyes are just
               holes drilled into glass)
      all /time/hangs
                 in moments—      
                                            lassoed
     by a mind that only
         remembers scars

rocky’s fingers curl, twitch
            (don't you move just
       let it happen, let it happen,
   you know it’ll fade—)
                       breath is a yellow
    fading light
         pushing past
                     skin /skin
                                       skin

the rope (too thick)
                  slices
        into a body that doesn't belong
anywhere,
                         just in that second
when he knew
                time bends and
                            falls
like dust back into dust

the howl of wind,
               the grind of
                          bullet
                (aimed but missed
because nothing
          sticks around long enough)
                       hangs in that
                   empty sky
                            and what was
                             done, undone.

if death speaks,
                         it's just
                       another song
that nobody
  quite understands  
                           yet
as the raccoon cowboy
               swings

                                         there

I once had vanity
searching for my likeness
in shop windows
looking for my place in the world
a glimpse of what others saw
in shaving mirrors
every morning
willing unwilling hair to grow
prove my manhood
see what I'd become

my gaze is focused earthward now
unshaven face unruly hair
no longer need for bathroom encounters
although reflected in mans shiny surfaces
a vampiric absence is all I witness
I looked too deep into that empty space
I occupied within my race
no longer seeking to fit in
I've become an outlaw mortal sin

He said to my face
"You miss every shot
You don't take"
                                 And I replied
"I only have one bullet
And on it is your name."

The psychedelic outlaw had class
He had a kaleidoscope bow-tie
Accentuated with brass
His custom tailor three-piece suit was white
But now no more
For the swirls of patterns and colours
Would send him down in lore
His cowboy hat was paisley
His six-shooters painted day glow
And the guise he wore
Said nothing more
Then, “Hell, I’m ready to go”
For the pearly gates
That some await
Will be dipped in a neon glow
And his favorite band will be playing
It'll be one helluva show.

Oh sweet little girl
Wont you open your eyes
Wont you wake up,
Rise and Shine.

Oh sweet little girl
Wont you watch your tongue
don't be so vocal or else you'll be shunned.

Oh sweet little girl
Hold your head high
Have a straight back
With shoulders wide.

Oh sweet little girl
Don't play in the mud
Your shoes will be ruined,
Don't mess with the bugs.

Oh sweet little girl
You study so hard
Your effort is noted
But your grades are subpar.

Oh sweet little girl
Don't travel alone
There's people at night
Who want to take you home.

Oh sweet little girl
How you've grown
You're a women now
With a mind of your own.

Oh little women
How your drive, drives you.
How you reach for the stars
Even with lips turning blue.

Oh little women
That's not what we said
Don't speak your mind
You're bringing up dread.

Oh little women
Leave that feather on the ground
Leave that bug on the bush.
There's nothing to be found.

Oh young women
Your voice is to loud
The chaos you're causing
is shaking the ground.

Oh young women
You're choices are bold
They're for to strong.
Listen to what you've been told.

Ma'am
We've asked you to stop
We've told you again and again.
You seem to not listen
Your will wont give in.

Your voice is to loud
Your hair isn't right
You are far to willing to pick a fight.
You play with nature
You say as you please
You're breaking the parameters
of what we believe.

Ma'am
It's time to settle down
It's time to fit in
Stop all this ruckus
And follow the rules you've been given.

"These rules have been botched
The've been slashed through with red X.

The women are rising,
And trust me you're next.
We are coming up from the rubble,
From the ash and the dirt,
We come with a vengeance,
Someones bound to get hurt.

We've suffered and begged,
For your ears to open,
Yet you brush away our please
Refusing diplomacy.

So we come with our swords,
Our flames rising high
We come with our voices
Screaming out towards the sky."
-ALC Dec 11, 2019

I've been rolling since I was born, without anywhere to go
Traded shots with the devil himself, and handed him my soul
I've got a shotgun across my back and a six-shooter in my hand
You better get your shot out first, cause I'll **** you where you stand

They tell when that rope's pulled tight, you'll beg'em to set you free
But I'll stare'em down in the eye, till they cut me from that tree
And I won't go down without a fight, cause i know i'm gonna die...

Hang'em High

I was born to be an outlaw. No not an outlaw-biker, but a true revolutionary outlaw, guns blazing towards the corrupt governments, horse riding into the dark desert skies, black cowboy hat tilted to the side, chewing bubble gum, cigarette and whiskey filled nights, thunder lighting burns the trails I've traveled with my horse, my horse is an outlaw too, free as a hawk in the night sky' searching for our next meal we go from town to town.

I'm saddened now I am a modern slave, but someday I'll set my soul on fire, whistle for my horse to come, make a change and destroy those pesky corrupted snakes, they won't imprison my mind again.

Call me the outlaw of the modern age.

Outlaws in Love

You, a chaotic beauty,
Shootin' smiles from distance.
A dangerous puzzle -
Lost, with in your own existence.

Me, a haywire mess,
Trying to make sense of things.
Willing to be by your side;
In summers, winters, falls and springs.

We, a crazy hybird of chaos and peril.
Ready, to have a crazy ride.
Ready, to be the outlaws in love,
Like Bonnie and Clyde.