Woman on a Mission - A Poem (#2 in the Pair of Aces series)

** Note: I would suggest reading the first poem in the Pair of Aces series: "The Man from Lubbock".  :) 

A young woman on a mission,
hunting a man of her own volition,
for a brutal murder she seeks revenge,
her father’s death she will avenge.
 
Her mother died when she was young,
her father raised her like a son.
He loved her with everything he had,
as he taught her right from wrong, and good from bad.
 
He was a US Marshall, tough as nails,
harder than the outlaws he put in jail.
Shot down by a worthless outlaw,
her daddy in a coffin, the saddest sight she ever saw.
Once strong and full of life,
his early death cut like a knife.
The grief she could not stand,
she vowed revenge by her own hand.
 
Astride a black horse, with pistols at her hips,
and a prayer of forgiveness on her lips,
she rode into town, headed for the saloon,
she knew her revenge would be enacted soon,
for there outside stood the man’s Bay,
for her father’s murder, he would soon pay.
 
The saloon was dark, smoky, and empty,
men’s abandoned drinks, there were plenty,
they’d left to watch another man gunned down,
way over on the other side of town.
He was stealing money from the cash box, with his back to the door,
he had no way of knowing his life of crime would soon be no more.
 
Her father had always said,
“Some men are just better off dead.
Sometimes people are just more evil than you’d figure,
and all that’s left to do is to squeeze that trigger.”
She drew her daddy’s pistol and took aim,
what he did to her father, to him she’d do the same.
 
Her dark eyes burned with determination,
as she saw on his face a flash of recognition.
“A deep breath and a steady hand,
helps you to be sure where the bullet will land,”
her father’s words echoed in her mind,
along with the memories he’d left behind.
 
She felt no mercy, no not a drop,
when she pulled back the hammer to a stop,
squeezed the trigger and watched him fall,
she had no regrets, no none at all.
 
She left the saloon and mounted her horse,
looked around to plot her course,
deciding to move along the edge of town,
she saw the crowd where the man had been gunned down.
 
A man riding, with his hat pulled low,
caught her attention, for he was riding slow.
He didn’t seem to be in a hurry,
though the crowd was in quite a fury.
 
The scar upon his face,
made him look out of place,
though him she did not fear,
for he meant her no harm, that seemed clear.
 
He looked at her and they locked eyes,
she sensed a kindred spirit in him, a bond that ties.
She rode toward him, taking a chance,
he moved his horse forward, closing the expanse.
 
Maybe this was the beginning of a new chapter,
one full of adventure, loyalty, and laughter.
Soon they were riding together in the same direction,
Could it work out? That was the only question….

                                                                                           ~ Liz Austin 2018