The Don   The Don don’t like losers. The Don enjoys it when you crawl. The Don don’t take no lip. The Don demands respect, he keeps his boys   on a short leash. The Don lays down the law. The Don decides what’s music and what’s noise. The Don don’t like to be touched — put your paws   on him and see. The Don don’t trust his food. The Don says, My friend, this is the last straw. The Don makes no bones: If you could, you would.   The Don likes to say he runs a tight ship, he likes to remind his people that good horses run from the shadow of the whip.     © Michael Fleming Brattleboro, Vermont August 2020