Red Moon

Last night B.B. was

                                    playing Lucille

                                    at a juke joint

                                    down in the swamp

                                    when two womens

                                    circled each other—

                                    two womens

                                    circled each other, but

                                    B.B. kept playing

                                    his lady Lucille.

                                    That blood-burning

                                    moon was high in the sky

                                    that blood-burning

                                    moon was high

                                    in the sky.

                                    Lightskinned Lucy

                                    drew first blood,

                                    cut Flossie’s arm

                                    Wid a broken

                                    beer bottle.

                                    Flossie didn’t shake

                                    Didn’t waddle,

                                    Flossie didn’t shake

                                    didn’t waddle—

                                    She sliced the air

                                    wid a straight razor

                                    clean and nice &

                                    cut Lucy’s throat

                                    like butter melt

                                    in rice.

Flossie Mae

                                    cut lightskinned Lucy’s

                                    throat

                                    just as plain as day.

                                    Flossie Mae

                                    Said: “You

                                    Messed wid

                                    my man and

                                    now you have to pay.”

                                    Now Lucy is

                                    cold & dead—

                                    Lawd, lawd

                                    Lucy be

                                    cold and dead.  &

                                    Flossie Mae

                                    she  in

                                    Parchman

                                    with the hellhound

                                    sniffin

                                    round her bed.

                                    B.B. played all day

                                    and into the night…

                                    said B.B. played all day

                                    and into the night—

                                    then the world ended

                                    and somebody

                                    turned off the lights.

                                    ©David L. Cooper 2013