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Dick and the Bare-Chested Excavator

Vexed and sweaty stood Pistol Dick
as curses and let bullets caned the cordoned rattler.
With sweaty pistol and careful neckerchief
Dick buffets some bottles about, for fun.

As curses and let bullets caned the cordoned rattler
careful attendance cantankered with these hapless bottles—
for amusement, Dick buffets these bottles about
and then returns to his trailer to drink and to rest.

Careful attendance has cantankered with the hapless bottles
so Dick cleans his ruined screens—ignoring the rattler—
then returns to his trailer to drink, rest and
cleans his pistol with the sweaty neckerchief.

So Dick cleaned the ruined screens, leaving the rattler
broken in spirit, cordoned, and neatly coiled.
Cleaning his pistol with the sweaty 'kerchief
Dick was careful, but still broke an acrid sweat.

Broken in spirit, cordoned, and neatly coiled,
the rattler envisioned Dick as large in his trailer:
Dick was careful but still broke another sweat—
one that was colorless, scaly, most bittersweet.

The rattler envisaged Dick outside his trailer,
crimped, with his bottles and curses
that were colorless, scathing, most bitterly said.
The bare-chested excavator hits the trailer door.

Crimped, with his bottles and long-practiced curses,
still vexed and sweaty stands Pistol Dick.
The bare-chested excavator points to the cordoned rattler
with a careful pistol and sweat-soaked neckerchief.

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