The Bruin and the Blade

By Cliff Lake

 

The Bruin and the Blade

 

Benny the Bruin was a murderous sort,

Slice you up for a dime, or just for sport.

Benny the Bruin had the local renown –

Wherever he was, was the wrong side of town.

 

Jimmy the Blade was a nefarious creep,

The cost of accosting him was usually steep.

Jimmy the Blade had earned his reputation,

The edge of his knife had caused many cessations.

 

Benny the Bruin was extending his range,

He wanted more and more, even for small change.

Benny the Bruin wouldn’t take no for an answer,

Especially when he fell for a Spanish dancer.

 

Now Jimmy the Blade had become a club owner,

Up to now he was a bit of a loner.

Out the window that went when he hired a new dancer,

I tell ya boys, she was an automatic de-pants-er.

 

Now Benny the Bruin and Jimmy the Blade,

Not so cordial, but arrangements were made…

Split the take and everything stayed fine,

As long as the one nor the other ever crossed the line.

 

Now Jimmy the Blade took a liking to dance,

And he escorted the showgirl every chance.

Jimmy the Blade squired her all over town,

When the Bruin saw her, some shit would go down.

 

Benny the Bruin started wooing her on the side,

Jimmy the Blade found out; it wounded his pride.

Benny the Bruin did not care at all,

Jimmy the Blade swore to be Benny’s fall.

 

Now Benny the Bruin had an odd liking:

Every other Saturday he went out biking.

You see, it cleared his head of the men that he’d harmed,

But he wasn’t so odd that he went out unarmed.

 

The Blade was aware of the Bruin’s devotion,

He concocted a plan to be put into motion.

Jimmy the Blade didn’t merely want to scrap;

Jimmy meant to lure Benny into a trap.

 

The Blade waited on the Bruin to start his ride,

He planned on catching the Bruin in a blindside.

But Jimmy the Blade had talked too much around town,

And Benny the Bruin wasn’t one to take a beatdown.

 

So, Benny got out his bike and started his tour,

He kept to his trail, no need to be demure,

He’d meet the Blade head on, that was his plan,

He wanted to face the enemy one on one, man to man.

 

Jimmy the Blade had wanted to catch Benny surprised,

He’d even thought he might go disguised.

But his dancer explained that wasn’t the way,

And Jimmy found himself swayed by her say.

 

So, when the Bruin approached, Jimmy hit the street.

In his hand a fighting knife for the Bruin to greet.

But the Bruin himself had a knife on his waist,

One he dearly wanted Jimmy to taste.

 

The two men met each other in a rush,

In seconds both their blood had started to gush.

The Blade and the Bruin soon each reaped what they’d sown,

And outside of town a dancer now has a club of her own.

 

Cliff Lake 11/18/2023

Copyright © Clifford Lake 2023

Location: Dalton, MA, USA

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