Masks

The villains of Hollywood 

and spaghetti westerns

wore masks

as they rode into town. 

With their faces hidden

behind their bandanas

they kicked down the bank doors,

shot the unlucky bystanders

and fled with bloody money.

Unless they were apprehended

by a sheriff and his deputies

proudly displaying their badges.

But now where the lonesome doggies call

the badges hide their faces in shame,

the badges hide their faces in shame.

Those villains in their masks

made classic cinema -

suspenseful chases,

saloon belles and brawls,

midnight showdowns,

lowdown kidnappings,

epic gun battles 

at high noon or sundown -

until the proud badges

won the day.

But now where the lonesome doggies call

the badges hide their faces in shame,

the badges hide their faces in shame.

Now celluloid legend

gives way to reality,

as the cavalry,

with trumpets blaring

in internet CAPS,

ride in just in time

(and fully masked)

to brutalize the indigenous

and the immigrant

for the dastardly crimes 

of cleaning rooms

and picking fruit.

And now where the lonesome doggies call,

the badges hide their faces in shame,

the badges hide their faces in shame.