hanging outside the rodeo
with mud on her paws and a few broken teeth,
her hair ginger like sunshine gone stale.
bless her haggard, ugly heart
cowgirl outside the rodeo
stood there for show and bent down low
drinking water with her blood in it.
a socket sewn shut where her eye used to be
round as a dime for the pinball machine
another one lost, tossed into the ring
a small price for your entertainment.