<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=us-ascii"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div dir="auto" style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div class="">Death Comes To Town</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><br class=""><img apple-inline="yes" id="49CBF8C0-4670-4E04-93C1-5FD1652D037F" class="" src="cid:C60A16D4-6580-45C9-8BEC-B0E7C0FFB08B"></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><p class="">The church bell tolls 12 times.<br class="">A tumbleweed careens down<br class="">parched mainstreet.</p><p class=""><em class="">Where is everyone who said they had my back?</em></p><p class="">At the intersection<br class="">Nemesis<br class="">dressed in black.</p><p class="">My feet shuffle forward.</p><p class="">Masked faces press against the saloon windows.</p><p class=""><em class="">I wonder who betrayed Me?<br class="">The waitress who didn't wear her mask over her nose?<br class="">The drunk Sacramento couple who wouldn't wear masks?</em></p><p class="">The boardwalk creaks.</p><p class="">Grit in my mouth.<br class="">Unfinished list in my pocket:<br class="">regrets<br class="">loves<br class="">treasures.</p><p class="">A gopher breaks through the hardpan.</p><p class=""><em class="">Where have all your brave words gone?<br class=""></em></p><p class="">Nemesis' ivory face<br class="">glints.</p><p class="">A barn owl screams.</p><p class=""><em class="">It's not over, until it's over.</em><br class="">Guffaw.</p><p class="">Unamused<br class="">Nemesis sets up the table<br class="">unfurls the chess board<br class="">bids me to move.</p><p class=""><em class="">White pawn to e4.</em></p><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>- Bob Burnett</div></div></div></body></html>