RED COBURN'S RETURN

Elden Hewett smiled at the sight
of Gretta Coburn moving his way,
she had worked here at his saloon,
ever since that dark, tragic day.

He pinched her as she walked by,
said,”Now I think it’s time you see,
you got no husband left to help you,
you’re gonna need to make real money.

“Let me make you one of my girls,
you’ll have your own room upstairs,
you will make more coin than waitressing,
and you’ll have money for all your cares.”

Gretta pulled herself away and said:
“I have told you this all before,
I got no interest in being your ‘girl,’
I’m not working as some damnable whore!”

Elden shot up quickly to his feet,
said,”I’m right tired of this here game.
If you want to keep on working here,
you’re going to do what I say!”

Just then the front doors broke open,
and a male figure paced on in.
The whole room gasped as Red entered
with two guns and a chilling grin.

Gretta stammered,’R-Red, h-how?
How can what I see be true?”
Elden’s blood ran quickly cold,
“Y-you’re dead…I-I saw to you!”

Red just grinned, and said,”Am I?”
Then strode over to them rather bold.
Elden said,”Yes! I know that you’re dead,
I saw your god damned funeral!”

Elden’s grin faded, hand moved to his gun,
saying,”I know your people bushwacked me.
You’ve been eyeing my wife for a long time,
I should just put a bullet in thee…

“But I’ve never been a violent man,
murdering you is a step to far.
So you and I will both settle this,
sit on down, and deal out the cards.

“We’ll play one hand, the winner takes all,
if I lose I’ll go far from this place.
But if I win you’ll pay a great price
for trying to bring my wife to disgrace.”

Gretta was still stunned, couldn’t react
as the two men sat down to the game,
especially since Elden’s skill with cards
had won him a great deal of fame.

The cards went out and Elden smiled,
throwing down a quartet of nines.
Red just grinned and showed his hand:
four kings of the red and black kind.

Elden lurched back, pulling his gun,
saying,”You will not take her away!
I shot you once to claim my prize,
I got no qualms doing it again—”

He shook where he stood, grabbing his heart,
his gun clattering down to the floor.
he collapsed in a heap near the table,
lying motionless on the floor-boards.

Not a single bullet had been fired,
Red remained there, cool in his seat,
then slowly got up, walked to Gretta,
and said said her,”My dear, I am so sorry.

“I made you two promises long years ago,
To be with you and your safety to keep.
I’m afraid that I failed at the first,
But the second promise I mean to keep.”

He gazed deeply into her sad eyes,
and gently caressed her sweet face,
then kissed her madly in front of all,
twas a kiss to last her through old age.

Then he drew back, gave a small smile,
sighed deeply and drank in her sight,
then slowly vanished before their eyes,
returning back to that long night…