BALLAD OF THE KENOSHA KID
for Kyle Rittenhouse
All summer he saw his country burned
And spat upon and cursed,
Saw lunacy and blood-thirst
For reason and goodwill returned,
Saw governments do nothing
As the Devil’s riot stormed
Unhindered, mindless, frothing
Hate. But he was one informed
By truth and duty, seventeen,
More man than any politician,
So when chaos came to town
He understood his mission.
He knew too many innocents
The mob had beaten bloody
Not to use God-given sense
To sling his rifle ready
As he labored to repair the mess
And clean the filth they left
Or help the helpless in distress
From their violence and theft.
What child-defiler rushed him
When he tried to douse their arson?
What criminal tried to crush him
When bearing arms his person
He defended? Who’s pistol
Did his quick shot sever
From the anarchist tool
In murder’s fever?
On the pavement, on his back,
He brought the 556 to bear,
Under close and multiple attack
He taught the mob to fear.
Then he stood and scanned the road,
Checked his weapon in good order,
And toward the lights of Law and Order,
Trusting Justice, strode
Eyes open, cool and steady,
Though hell-on-earth raged to destroy
This promise-raised Midwestern boy,
His rifle at low ready.
