Henry Repeating Arms
an American standard
unrelated to plumbing fixtures
released it this year:
A lever-action carbine
chambered for .22 shells
with a smoothbore barrel
so the pellets hold tight.
It's a concept with a niche:
Pest control firepower
with less collateral damage
to keep handy on a farm
or out back in the grove
for ridding the land of vermin.
Loaded with a lethal dose
of No. 12 BBs
called snakeshot or ratshot
dependent upon what's most hated
this handy piece of hardware
will dispatch local varmints
without destroying structures.
They've stained the stock
a shade of black
to distinguish it from rifles
but the theory has a flaw:
Anything you aim to kill
will only send a friend.
Currently reading:
"The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon" by Stephen King.
