St. Valentine’s Day

The legato of gunfire
Flowing like music and
The beating of hearts
Now lost to love
Rhythmically pumping
The Red splatter of life
Spilled out in warm rivulets.
Seven slumped
Pierced by lead arrows
Against the cold brick and
Upon the dirty concrete
Floor of a Chicago garage.
When the sultry smoke cleared
A dog and a gangster
Were all that was left alive
Though the man passed on
A short while later
“No one shot me”
He held on to
The code of La Cosa Nostra
So only the dog knows
And Highball ain’t a snitch.