Mcgilvery Poem by Bill Simmons

Today I must face the man
A bullet must find the man
At McGilvery
One must live and one must die
Self inflicted suicide
All for the sake of a womans hand

All dressed in my very best
In case it is I that is laid to rest
I see my friends have all arrived
Some say prayer over me
Others say they are proud of me
My mother she sits and she cries

It is almost dawn now
The time is almost upon me now
I stand and step out on the porch
As I look I can see
The sun is breaking through the trees
I think about the woman I adore

My mother she grabs my hand
Father says son your a man
I grab my hat and place it on my head
As I step out I can see
My opponent waiting patiently
In the field of honor that lays just ahead

As I walk out to the center field
I wonder if I'll be killed
Or be forced to take anothers life
All for the sake of a silly thing
Remarks made of a golden ring
For a womans pride today one must die

But this is how it is
Our time and age and one must pay
And for less others have given lives
I shake the hand of the man
Then back to back against the man
I realize, I know the color of his eyes

I then hear the starting gun
The count down has begun
Ten paces out and I turn about
As I do a shot rings out
I think I'm dead but no doubt
My opponents nervous aim wasn't true

With only one round each
Now the decisions up to me
I can see the death look in his eyes
I take aim at his heart
I see his face the tears they start
He drops to his knees, his moma cries

I walk up to the man
Just moments ago would have killed a man
Just moments ago would have taken my life
I bend down and say to him
What I do now is up to you
This argument, it is over and it's through

Just a second ago you would have killed a man
But now the gun is in the others hand
Do you understand what I'm giving you
With a sigh of relief he now stands
Wipes his tears I shake his hand
I fire my pistol to the sand

Be careful what you hope for
Lifes not fair and much more
Life is so precious of man
What goes around can come around
And sometimes it can be found
The gun is in the others hand.

copyright © 2003
Bill Simmons
aka BillWilliamStar@aol.com