before breakfast

sleepy village
looks abandoned in dawn's indistinct light
not the sort of place to expect urban trouble…

at the corner of Main and Market streets
dull red window shutters thrown open
“hey what's all that racket? ye aint no rooster!”
         “don't know Miss Charlene
         holler over t' Jake Davis' place”
farther down at Market and Church streets
heavy oak front doors slam
“what on earth Randall Jones
decent folk sleep on a Saturday's morn”
         “that's them prankster Williams boys with one o' them
         fancy football hollerin' machines”

them there was Billy Bud and Billy Joe
they done jump started the old Jenkens truck
stole a megaphone from the Grainville gymnasium
added slick four-wheel drive honking decibels
started out at six a.m. from the city
done did announce the afternoon’s circus there
but without the fancy posters like in the city
twice they hit all six of the streets, adding
          “gonna be a nasty wet day today
         so buy new umbrellas before ya’ll leave
         Gimbles' grocery has ‘em on sale”

twenty families awakened from peaceful sleep
not by the faithful church clock
but by a real life nightmare
the latest episode of the Billy twins’
disorderly conduct
social uprising before breakfast
sure sours the coffee...



         before breakfast
         [2007.14.3…a]