Teviston (37)

mostly nobody’s awake in the shanties,

all the chickens have roosted for the night.

some mice and rats, a few cats,

are rustling and prowling

around in the trash.

and that off duty white deputy

who snuck down from Tulare

and scratched at the back door

of Gayle, a widow who has

welcomed his attentions

since her old man died

while in detention

up at the county jail.

the trio zooming

the back roads from Bakersfield

park behind the shack

that belongs to the Browns.

-wait here a minute, let me go first,

 don’t wanna scare them in their bed.

 nobody comes calling at two am.

She goes quietly to the lockless door,

peeks inside, gives a quick thumbs up.

Loretta tells Henry,

-you did it boy, got here ‘fore the scum.

 what you prepared to do now?

-we’re going to have to improvise,

 they won’t be easily discouraged.

 best thing in my opinion is get

 everybody out of the house.

-and then what, where we run to now?

 you got a place in Fresno where we can hide?

 your people gonna greet us

 with their arms open wide?

-I don’t know, Loretta, it’s the best I can do

 if they don’t find us here, that’s the next

 place they’ll go.......Call the police

 when we get there……..

-You shittin’ me, son?

 You think they give a shit

 about four niggers on the run?

-They have to, god damn it. it’s the law.

- you even younger than I thought.

 I say we gotta make a stand.

-maybe so, then we better have a plan.

 you got any ideas?

Ruthie steps out from the shack

beckons to them: come in.

-Well, hon, let’s move that to the back of the stove,

 looks like Ruthie sayin’ it’s time for you to meet the Browns.