"They Fired-off a Round from Their 44s."

Determinately they stood tall,
shoulders squared, back to back
Each one knew that it was his
destiny to be the quickest-draw
and the last man standing
The man in white and the man
in black

Intrinsicately their sense of hearing
was now heightened so that they heard
every stroke of the mocking clock
It ticked at its normal pace but to
them each tick felt like an eternity
Each second that passed offered them
the time to have a million thoughts

And in these thoughts they did not
ponder their past or the life ahead
maybe being without them in it because
they knew that when the hammer came
down, that their round would be the
first one out of the chamber and hit
its desired mark that would mean sure
death to the recipient thereof

The foreboding clock that towered over
them like some high and mighty angel
of death hit its final stroke; that of
high-noon, compelling them to begin
their pre-determined paces, counting-out
from one to ten

Intently they took each step with a sense
of dedication and hatred to complete this
task
They had taken on this honor bestowed upon
them by the town
Neither man was loved or hated although
sides were assuredly chosen
This was more than some mere grudge-match
brought-on by some petty argument for sure
This was about ideology and the direction
that the town was to go

1, 2, 3, 4, 5,
Each man now had that cold, steely look in
his eyes
6, 7, 8, 9, 10
The moment of a new era was ready to be
revealed
They took a final, long exhaling breath and
turned quickly around, swiftly with such
ease and simplicity relieving the 44s from
their holsters
And then with a shot fired that seemed to
be pre-determined from all the gods above
the man in black dropped the hammer sending-
out a hot load that sent out fire from the
barrel at least a foot long and put a bullet
straight through the man in whites eyes

Yes, today darkness triumphed over light and
all of their dogma and prejudices would be
laid to rest because the man shrouded in
black had brought it to pass