Cut to the chase, Officer Delaney

Here's a dum-dum for these down-at-heel days,-

Cut to the chase, Officer Delaney

Officer Delaney
swings the baton
stands legs astride
and gazes
at the broken door

off the hinge
and open wide.

What have we here?
Delaney muses
and peers at Charlie
by the open gate.

Another break, Charlie says,
but good that you're here
to invest-
igate.

Delaney checks
the broken door,
- it's a serious crime
to be quite frank...

It's not my place
by the way, Charlie whispers,
It belongs to Buster
- or likely the bank.

Where's Buster now?
- Delaney's next question.

Upstairs on the bed,
- sleeping it off?

I'll knock him up,
says the dedicated cop
- arrest the felon
and make him cough.

Good luck to you
but I must dash,
- I got to find me
an eightball cue

and he pats the chalk
in his inside pocket
- strolls downtown,-

full of holes
are the soles
of his broken-down shoes.

-----------
24 Feb 2009