Cowboys and Outlaws

(To come) to where eyes will 

move in head like a rat 

mad since locked in a biscuit tin all day 

stampeding mad as mad rats legs 

bang it went was hot 

under my eye 

was hot small bang did it 

almost a pop 

I didnt hear till I was red 

had a rat fyt in my head 

sad billys body glancing out 

body going as sweating white horses go 

reeling off me wet 

scuffing down my arms 

wet horse white 

screaming wet sweat round the house 

sad billys out 

floating barracuda in the brain

--Excerpt from Michael Ondaatje, "The Collected Works of Billy the Kid"