The Gentleman…More Animal Than Man

8.11.2018

 

Sir William McKann

The gentlemen’s gentleman

And Cypress Sheen

Cy’s lean and mean

 

Two men

But really one and the same

Same man

Different looks

Different personas

And different names

 

What’s his angle

What’s he up to

Why’s he do it

What’s his game

 

No one knows

Much less how

Sir William and Cy 

Are one and the same

No one knows

As two

One’s playing

A kill the killers game

 

First as Sir William,

Rides into town

Ties his horse

To see what’s up

But all to learn

What’s goin’ down

 

The ultimate gentleman

From head to feet

The Duke of Wins Her

Sweeps the ladies off their feet

 

Gets to know everyone

In the bad stricken town

Learn’s the good that’s up

And what brings her down

What brings her to tears

What brings her to laughter

But it’s the bad seeds

Sir William McKann is after

Learns their names

Learns their games

Learns their patterns

Plans and gains

 

They don’t know

But all the same

They wouldn’t want

On his list of names

 

When he’s learned enough

When he’s got his own plan

Is when he hits the trail

Never see him again

‘Least not as the gentleman

Sir William McKann

 

Months have passed

Nothing’s changed in town

But everything’s changed for Sir McKann

He’s molted all they knew of him

More animal than gentleman

 

He’s gaunt and bearded

Lost so much weight

Doesn’t look, walk, talk

Or even smell the same

Doesn’t want to

All part of his plan

A different kind of mission

Takes a different kind of man

 

Now Cypress Sheen

He’s got the list

Now Cypress Sheen

Controls the plan

 

Those on the list

Those he is after

Knows their business

Knows their plans

Knows the blood

On all their hands

Knows where they’ll be

And when

Doing what to whom

And then

When they retreat

Catch them off guard

Dealt them the reaper

Now force their card

 

Cy Sheen

Lean and mean

Six-shooters in each hand

Brings the thunder

Rains the bullets

Puts six feet uppers

Six feet under

 

Why’s he do it

Why this plan

When a good town suffers

From a bad man’s plans

That man loses his right

For which to stand

Six feet up

On the fine town’s land

 

And when it’s all

All said and done

Cy hits the trail

His work is done

Leaves stories to tell

By the good townspeople

Happy to ring death’s bell

From their good church steeple

For the men who put

Their good town through hell

 

Cy knows

Again

Time to transform

Cocoon to chrysalis form

Time again to become

Sir William McKann

Time to find a new town

Thirty-third in his sights

Thirty-second one down

 

The cycle begins

Come the calm

Before the thunder

The filtering rain

How it ends

With listed names

Six feet under

Leaves a good town good again

When stricken bad

How it began

 

Sir William McKann

The gentlemen’s gentleman 

And Cypress Sheen

Cy’s lean and mean

As two

One’s forming

A list of killer’s names

As two

One’s playing

A kill the killers game

Each bullet has a chamber

Each bullet has a name

Six-shooters in each hand

Brings the thunder

Rains the bullets

Puts six feet uppers

Six feet under

It’s all part of his plan

The two

Are one

The gentleman

Sir William McKann