Cowboys

Brothers in the street
Playin' cowboys again
Prayin' a stray
Don't catch my first-born
Brothers pullin' drive-bys
Before the rooster crows
And don't you know
The chickens
Are coming home
Could have sworn the shots
Came from Cecil way
I skip that block sometimes
Take the long way
Home
Not being a punk
Just making sure Daddy
Hangs around for his Son
I heard what went down
The other day
Circle of Blue
On a block of Red
Brother clutchin' his side
Like he's tryin' to
Hold
In
Life
Coat crumpled on the
Concrete
Soaked with his insides
I ain't been through since
At night that is
'Cause I knew what was coming next
I ain't wishin' death on their door
But when you know
You know
Must have been the shots I heard
See
I'm livin' in the West End
And I'm stayin' in the West End
It's Hell on Earth
I just happen to be from Hell's
West Side

Yeah
They got game for your ass
Enough to make you think twice
About how cool
You thought you was
Fool tried to steal my front door
Had it hangin' by a thread
But Sir Friendly C
Sittin' on my couch
Talkin' 'bout
"It's just the wind"
I let it go
Like I'm a argue with 5-0
In my own crib
Now One Time knows
Where I live and he's thinkin'
"Nigger
Why'd you waste my
Time?"
You know I thought about
Packin' heat
Blazin' them
'Fo they blaze me
But what happens when
Baby Man starts walkin'
And finds Daddy's gun?
Ain't go'n be no
Cowboys in this house
You ain't heard?
The chickens
Are coming home

Mitchell L. H. Douglas