For (and because of) Danielle

I am not perfect,
if tonight speaks truth.
I saw them leave the bar,
four of those cocky bastards.
Pulling their leather jackets tight,
cursing loudly at the cold.
I followed them a block away
watching as they peeled off one by one
'til there was only him left...
The man who ruined my life,
the coward that never knew my face—
well he'll find it tonight
engrained in his memory,
and if I'm lucky
he'll find my knuckles
traced on his face.
I rushed up an alley to cut him off.

Adrenaline washing my elated mind
and heightening my frozen senses,
impervious to the cold
and all I could hear was
"I'm sorry, there's someone else, I'm sorry"
over and over.
As he reached my alley lair,
I stepped out front of him with a savage "Hello."
"Shit—" THUD
was all that escaped his head
as my right knuckles broke his nose.
He staggered back, adding blood
to the salty slush beneath, still on his feet
which (THUD) a left hook to the eye
and (THUD) a knee to the balls
took care of.
I wasn't in the business of keeping shots clean,
I was in the business of causing him pain.
A heel to the gut, that thick thud
and a rush of exhaled air
and I crouched down in front of him.
Pulled his head level with mine,
feral-growled "Now you can have her,"
and threw his head back into the slush.

I am not perfect,
as I found out when I
staggered off smiling.