He was a felon, but a nice one.
Not exactly sure
why he was sent up river, probably
assault on a bar hopping night
Released, he did odd jobs, tended bar,
shared what was biting where,
and tracked the weather to predict
when morels would pop – good money.
Chicago’s Al Capone passed through
every upper Midwest town, and
Donnie found credibility to the tale
working, tearing down the old church.
Found a 1920s tommy gun
in the belfry rafters,
a logical look-out point when
Al was gambling in the bar below.
Being Ronnie, he boasted
it could be worth thousands.
Upon hearing this, the local cops
confiscated it, him being a felon and all.
Even nice felons age,
and pass away, leaving
a lingering presence
in the belfry of memory.
Nancy Kay Peterson’s poetry has appeared in Bluebird Word, Dash Literary Journal, Last Stanza,, RavensPerch, Spank the Carp, Steam Ticket, and Tipton Poetry Journal. She co-published Main Channel Voices: A Dam Fine Literary Magazine (2004-2009). She has authored two chapbooks, Belated Remembrance (2010) and Selling the Family (2021). See www.nancykaypeterson.com.
