The Blaze of Betta, Part Two

Quoth Mallajore, in terror at the scene,
"Who is this bitch, how dares she here to fight
My forces?" No one answered as the lean
And muscled woman laughed off a fierce bite
From wolven jaws and brought her hammer down
To crush the monster who'd attacked her. "Fly,
My demon-spawn" the wizard said "Reknown
Throughout the ages, even if you die
Destroying her, is yours!" The sound of wings
And buzzing drowned his cries as did obey
His minions! A barrage of bites and stings
Made worse the clash of armies as the fray
Grew mightier. And soon, besmeared in blood,
Did Betta and her fighters hide in mud.

Donnie the Kid, Part One

His first day on George Fox’s high plains spread,
They called him “kid” e’en though he was fourteen.
Kid he remained for days and weeks, his bed
Out ‘neath the stars, where kids sleep. In between
Those chilly nights he worked hard, but still “kid”
Was what they called him. Then, one scorching day
When he had had enough, he stopped amid
Shit shoveling and other chores to say
To the old supervising hands “You know
I’m not a kid.” “You ain’t a cowboy yet,”
The hands all told him. “You got far to go.
We ain’t seen you do what you’ve gotta. Get
The irrigation shovel. Go five miles
Then we’ll tell you what’s next.” “There’s more?” “Oh, piles!”

The Blaze of Betta, Part One

The blinding glint of armor in the sun
Might terrify a lesser band. The blaze
Of Betta, though, outshone them, ev’ry one,
Each foe-worn helm or breastplate. Her fierce gaze
Gave courage to her fighters as they charged
And shouted, Betta’s hammer in the lead
(A captured weapon she had much enlarged
While at the smithy). Not so much for greed
As for the rights of all who dared to stand
Upon two legs, did Betta’s side crack skulls
(Though some of them might now and then demand
Some minor spoils shared out throughout the hulls
Of Betta’s ships). Commenceth thus the war
Against the slaver-wizard Mallajore!