Mike Dolinka
SDJA, class of 2003

Seeing is consuming

Taste is experience

Touch is understanding

Hearing is knowledge

Smell is living

All equal one thing...

Life

Forever together
Separated---never
Holding each other up
Never to let them down
Circling each other round and round
The very earth you stand on
Crumples under your love
White, pure,
Fly, high, like a dove
Climbing higher and higher
Never can they be liars
Never can they let go of their fire
Finding one another
They are now and forever lovers
Loneliness gone forever
Never, never, never ever
The feeling is deep
Piled up into a heap
Are they ready for the leap
Into each other's love?

Fear and hate are mates
Keeping us from that one and only gate
Where we find peace of mind
And there is no word like time
Searching for answers
Even to things like cancer
Hoping for peace
So one can show their face
What's inside?
Don't try to hide
Try to find inner strength
Go to the depth and length
To find what is yours
Trust me
You have never seen anything like this before

Old, yet filled with sights and wonders
Has seen acts of love and blunder
Supported by knowledge of one's self
Thus keeping his mind in health

Is life not a bridge
Crossed only by motivation?

To become a nation
Following one's soul
Will take it to a bridge's toll
Where one must push to succeed
Giving all that one should need

Is peace not heaven
Accessible only by one's pen?

Thoughts flow like water
Trying to gain what is modern
Faith brings one closer
Or does it bring one over?

Billy the Kid was said to be the fastest draw in the West. Some folks say he could draw as fast as a roadrunner could run. Many people say Billy was an apple gone sour. Once on a dark could night a wolf howled. "Dag nabet," said Billy. "Don't those blasted yappers ever shut up?" They're like a train's whistle, louder than hell itself. Billy was mad, real mad. He hadn't got a wink of sleep in the past two days cause of those damn yap'n coyotes.

Billy decided to go into town for a beer or two in the local saloon. As his horse approached the town, he could hear the piano play'n and the men a sing'n. They sounded worse than a parrot with a sore throat. As Billy walked through the big double saloon bar doors, a big smile spread across his face. The place was in full throttle. Men drinking, the piano play'n, and the women a danc'n. As Billy approached the bar, he eyed the people surrounding him. To his left was a drunk-business man, but to his right was a man so ugly only his mother could love him. The man was obviously drunk.

He said to Billy, "Pour me a drink sonny or get a whip'n from me."

If there was one thing Billy could not stand for, that was someone telling him what to do.

The man said again, "Hey, pour me a drink or get a bullet in your stomach."

Billy turned to face the man and said, "Pour the drink yourself."

The man said, "Hey, you little whip'r snapper. What did you say to me?"

Billy said, "You heard right and mister maybe I should tell you who I am."

The man said, "Sure, they have to put something on the grave stone."

Billy then said that his name was Billy the Kid. All of a sudden there was a silence in the crowd.

This man was a man with pride and stubbornness. He said, "I've heard a lot about you, but I don't think you're that fast."

Billy then said, "Well let's find out."

At that moment, Billy's hand fell down to his gun in a blaze so fast that the man knew he was in for it. Billy's guns came up a spit'n lead. The man staggered back and fell dead. He hadn't even cleared the holster.

Billy then went up to the bar and said, "Oh, about that beer. Make that two to go."

Winchester '73

As Nathan's eyes scanned the surrounding forest, he saw a moving shadow out of the corner of his eye and heard the ruffle of leaves. Nathan pulled his Winchester '73 from his bootleg and dropped to the ground. At that instant a slug split the air above his head. Nathan fired at the muzzle flashes and heard a grunt. He pulled his colt into his hand and slowly approached the spot where he heard the grunt. That's when he heard the voice.

"Hold it there mister. I got you covered."

Nathan turned to face the man and said, "Hold it there. Maybe we could figure this out. I know you're hit pretty bad."

The man dropped from the tree to the ground and leaned against the tree. "So what is your name partner?"

Nathan said, "The name is Nathan, Nathan Stone."

The man's face turned white and he said, " The Stone that killed over 20 men in bank robberies and was the train guard for the AT and FT?"

"Yep."

The man put out his hand to shake and said, "Nice to meet you. The name is King, King Fisher."

As the man was talking Nathan studied him. He was a good-looking man, no more than 20.

Nathan said, "So, where did you get hit?"

King said, "In the arm. It's nothing. I'll patch it up at the camp fire."

Nathan helped King to his saddle and then went to fetch his horse and packhorse. By the time he got to camp, King had coffee and some beef cooking over the fire and was tending to the wound to his arm.

King said, "Corral on the left, and the cow is cooking."

As Nathan came toward the good smelling food, he wondered why King had been so jumpy? What had he done?

"So King, how has life been treating you?"

King took a hard look at Nathan and said, "Well Stone, it's really not your business, but since I'm hoping we'll stay together for a while, I'll tell you. I've been chasing some men who killed my family and I shot a sheriff who was one of them. Now the whole gang is after me."

The horses nickered and Nathan turned with colt in hand to see ten men approaching them. Nathan and King jumped into a rocky area and took their Winchesters.

As the man came closer, Nathan called out, "You there, hold it or I'll fire."

The man, who looked like the leader, said, "You up there. Just pull out and you won't get hurt. Anyway, the odds are against you."

Nathan said, "Well mister, I aim to even those odds if need be."

Nathan could see the man was worried. All of a sudden the thought came to Nathan, there were only six men there. Where were the other four men? Surrounding him!

Nathan turned to King, but he was already watching behind them. At that instant, a bullet hit the rocks and bullets were rocketing all around them. King was firing down and Nathan turned to see the men coming toward them. He took aim at the leader and fired. Then three more shots. He hit the leader, fallen from his saddle, and wounded two other men.

King had taken out his three men, and then was hit in the side and lay unconscious. Nathan hit two other men on his side, and then waited for them to come up. As the men came up, Nathan was waiting with his thumbs tucked into his belt near his guns.

Nathan then said, "Well boys, are we going to have it out or not."

At the same instant the two men drew, but Nathan was faster and was a dead shot. He killed both of them with shots through the head. He went back to King, patched him up and waited till he got better before he left.

Nathan was getting restless from his immobility. He told King, "Time I get going. Nice being with you."

King said, "Hope to see you around. If you're in any trouble, just give a holler and I'll come as quick as lightening.