Blood & Kin Poem by David Welch

He walked into the dusty saloon,
maybe an hour after high noon,
his face still smooth with the touch of youth,
eyes dead-set on seeking out the truth.

He saw him there, two men at his side,
looking just like his mother described,
the scar, gold tooth...the cold countenance,
Silas knew that he had found his man.

He strode up and said, "You're Dalton Wise,
you killed my father, so now you'll die."
Dalton and the two men looked amused,
said Dalton, "Who's gonna' do it, boy? You? "

They laughed again, and young Silas seethed,
said, "For his death, you will answer to me.
You took Joe Hamlin from my mother,
and brought no small deal of pain to her."

The name caught Daltons attention quick,
"You claim your pa was that weak-willed twit?
Oh kid, your mother has told you tales,
that fool Hamlin did nothing but fail.

"Joe was a coward, a sniveling fool
tuck and ran when we treated him cruel,
a pasty lunger, barely could breath,
much less attract a woman to breed.

"There was a woman, Lauri, I think,
who screamed that we did terrible things,
she pitied the fool, got in the way,
girls shouldn't trifle with men at play.

"I told her as much, but she kept on,
blathering how we treated him wrong,
one day while smacking that fool's face in
she dared to stand between me and him.

"With hands on hips, she flustered and fumed,
‘Stop bullying him! ' he small voice boomed,
thinking we wouldn't lay a finger
on a woman, that's why she lingered.

"I slapped that yapping bitch to the ground,
took aim and shot that fool Hamlin down,
dragged her to a barn when it was done,
I took my time…had a lot of fun."

He leered and the other men both laughed,
said Dalton, "What you think about that? "
Silas felt his rage slowly turn cold
as more of this cruel story was told.

"Hamlin couldn't be your pa, "he said,
"'cause when I took young Lauri, she bled.
Just looking at you, it becomes clear,
Joe weren't your pa, he's sitting right here! "

He thumped his chest, just to emphasize,
supreme confidence blazed in his eyes.
"So wipe that bravado off your mug,
we both know that you won't kill your blood."

He smirked at the two friends at his side,
not a one showed real fear in their eyes,
said Silas, "If there's truth in your words,
then I'll have to get revenge for her."

His hand flashed fast, the Colt spoke loudly,
Dalton was struck, flew back wildly.
Silas shifted right, cut down that man,
still fumbling with the gun in his hand.

The other man threw his hands up high,
said Silas, "Run, or you too will die."
The bandit scrambled, leaving the bar,
Dalton still breathed, but wouldn't get far.

"In what wourld could we ever be kin? "
snarled Silas, standing over him.
"When you get there, find Satan and tell
him how a Hamlin sent you to Hell."

Dalton's breath rasped, the fear present now,
wanting mercy he'd never allowed,
but Silas cared not, slowly took aim,
then sent a bullet straight through his brain.

The saloon was still, people hiding,
Silas straight up, gun still smoking,
said to the bartender, "Sorry for the floor."
flipped him some gold, then strode out the door.