The Range War

It's on:
an instate rivalry
gone out of hand,
folks gone way out
of line.

Tell me why
such things have to be,
why there always
must be some secret grudge
to be borne day in, day out.

For the most part,
there were plenty of folks
holding their peace,
not doing the slightest
inkling of harm

but whenever
the fluent language of choice
got misused/abused
past the point of rescue
disorder ensued,

tempers flared, folks fumed
& raged & did whatever it was
they were planning
on doing
now that their good name

had been insulted.
We were only out to have
a good time, true.
But the instant
one rival spoke gibberish

about us - to our faces! -
then & there we stopped
playing nice.
Some chumps threw whatever
they could find at their disposal:

empty cans reeking of beer,
programs for the day's game,
glass bottles...
Of course we were eager
to return the favor,

get back at our foes
by whatever means we could.
Thank heavens
that we stood our ground,
remained resolute the whole time.

All this began
over a piece of turf,
just to see who's the real deal
around here.
Chants & taunts drew us

to where the action was,
with a magnetic pull
unlike any other
we've encountered before
or ever will again.

This scene sure enough
became a tumultuous sight
for all to see,
the enactment of a war
with no winners

or losers on either side.
Everyone involved, it seems,
had something to prove,
some scores to settle
but to no avail.

Such is life
in rivalries like these,
when even your closest
of friends
are siding with the enemy.