The Stranger Poem by Charles M Moore

From the dark out of the shadows
in the night the stranger came
he walked slowly he walked tall
his coat glistened in the rain

You could hear his spurs a jingle
as he came out of the gloom
now and then his guns would sparkle
as they caught light from the moon

You could barely catch his features
rough and rugged they may be
this was not some old time cowboy
this was trouble plain to see

To the bar his shadow followed
all went quiet when he stepped in
dancing girls soon ran for cover
he just gave the slightest grin

'Barman serve me up some whisky
tell me if this place is hell
for all I find are thieves and killers
where good people used to dwell'.

In a voice that barely whispered
chewing on an old cigar
the stranger told of how some cowboys
murdered down his ma and pa

'They lived quiet on a homestead
God fearing folk as was back then
but they had their lives a taken
when I was but barely ten'.

'I have searched and I have tarried
through the mountains and the plains
looking for the dirty killers
who took away my fathers name'.

'Now I know they're in here somwhere
and I'll tell you there's a few
and I'm gonna have to kill them
as I promised I would do'.

The bar was getting mighty restless
people rushed out to the street
the stranger turned and looked round slowly
as four men got to their feet

In a flash but like slow motion
both guns blazing from the hip
the stranger took them fast and clean
I've never seen a gun so quick

From upstairs he heard a creaking
the stranger smiled and drew once more
and slowly aiming at the target
shot a fifth man through the floor

Chewing on an old cigar
the stranger walked out of the room
the last I saw was just a shadow
fading out into the gloom.