IT WAS DOWN IN FLORENCE, ARIZONA, BACK IN 1984,
WHILE LANGUISHING ON DEATH ROW AT THE PENITENTIARY.
WHILE LYING IN MY DRAB CELL, UNABLE TO SLEEP ONE NIGHT,
MY EYES SUDDENLY BEHELD A VERY EERIE SIGHT.
SOMETHING DARK AND EVIL SLIPPED BENEATH MY CELL DOOR,
AND QUIETLY MADE ITS WAY ACROSS THE CONCRETE FLOOR.
I TRIED MY BEST TO FOCUS ON THE INTRUDER IN MY HOUSE,
AND THEN IT BECAME QUITE CLEAR THAT THE INTRUDER WAS A MOUSE!

UPON A CLOSE INSPECTION I SAW HE WAS QUITE FAT,
KIND OF BROAD ACROSS THE SHOULDERS AND LOOKED MEANER THAN ANY CAT!
HE MADE HIS WAY TO THE CARDBOARD BOX WHERE ALL MY GOODIES WERE,
CHOSE HIMSELF A CHOCOLATE BAR AND REACHED FOR SOMETHING MORE.
WELL, I DIDN’T MIND THE CANDY BAR BECAUSE I HAD TWO OR THREE,
BUT WHEN HE TOOK MY LAST SMOKE HE MADE AN ENEMY!

I EASED UP FROM MY BUNK AS QUIETLY AS I COULD,
AND LEAPED OVER THE CARDBOARD BOX AS HE FROZE RIGHT WHERE HE STOOD.
I’VE GOT TO TELL YOU FRIEND, I THOUGHT I HAD HIS ASS,
BUT THAT FURRY LITTLE VARMINT WAS LIGHTNING FAST.
HE JUMPED INTO THE CORNER REARING UP ON HIS HIND FEET,
AND DOUBLED UP HIS TINY PAWS, HE WOULDN’T ADMIT DEFEAT!
I THREW A CRUSHING ROUNDHOUSE RIGHT THAT HEADED FOR HIS JAW,
BUT WITH A SPEED I’LL NOT FORGET, HE BLOCKED IT WITH HIS PAW.

FOR WHAT SEEMED LIKE HOURS WE FOUGHT AND I WAS TIRED,
UNTIL I KICKED HIM IN HIS FURRY BUTT AND HEARD HIM GROAN.
WELL, HIS FURRY LITTLE BODY FELL HELPLESS TO THE FLOOR,
I GRABBED HIM ROUND HIS PANTING NECK AND PINNED HIM AGAINST THE DOOR.
I WAS ABOUT TO APPLY THE PRESSURE THAT WOULD BE HIS DEMISE,
WHEN I NOTICED LITTLE TEARDROPS FALLING FROM HIS BEADY LITTLE EYES.

HE SAID, GO ON MR ROSSI, GO ON AND TAKE MY LIFE,
BEING A JAILHOUSE MOUSE HAS BEEN ALL HELL AND STRIFE.
NOW TO SAY THE LEAST IT STARTLED ME TO HEAR THAT MOUSE TALK,
BUT I’D SEEN STRANGER THINGS BEFORE I COULD HARDLY WALK.

THEN THIS HAIRY LITTLE CREATURE RAN THIS STORY DOWN TO ME,
HE SAID, BEFORE YOU DO ANYTHING DRASTIC, THERE’S SOMETHING YOU SHOULD SEE!
HE PULLED THE HAIR BACK ON HIS ARM AND EXTENDED HIS RIGHT PAW,
AND I SAW A TATTOO 'BORN TO LOSE' WITH COLORS AND ALL.
HE SAID, I WAS BORN IN PRISON AND MY FATHER WAS A RAT,
HE BEAT ME AND MY BROTHERS, BUT I WON’T GO INTO THAT.
I WAS CAUGHT STEALING COOKIES IN SOME OLD CONVICT’S CELL,
AND I WISHED HE’D HAVE KILLED ME, FOR MY LIFE’S BEEN A LIVING HELL!
INSTEAD HE HAD ME STEALING SMOKES WHILE OTHER CONS WERE ASLEEP,
HE’S THE ONE WHO TATTOOED ME, MAN, THAT DUDE WAS AN EVIL CREEP!

THEN ONE NIGHT HE REALLY GOT DRUNK ON SOME HOMEMADE WINE YOU SEE,
AND FOR LACK OF SOMETHING BETTER TO DO, HE STARTED IN ON ME.
HE GRABBED ME BY MY LITTLE NECK AND THREW ME AGAINST THE WALL,
CRACKING THREE OR FOUR RIBS AND FRACTURING MY RIGHT PAW.
LATER THAT NIGHT HE PASSED OUT, AND I RAN IN UTTER FEAR,
I JUMPED A FREIGHT TRAIN HEADED WEST AND WOUND UP RIGHT NEAR HERE.

BUT I COULDN’T HANDLE THE FREEDOM, I’M A LIFER, I REALIZE,
HELL, I WAS BORN AND RAISED IN PRISON, I’M INSTITUTIONALIZED!
SO, I CAME HERE TO THIS PRISON, I’VE BEEN HERE ABOUT A YEAR,
BUT I’M REALLY TIRED OF LIVING A LIFE OF FEAR.
SO CLOSE YOUR POWERFUL FIST MY FRIEND, FOR I REALLY WANT TO DIE,
AND THEN THE PATHETIC CREATURE SOFTLY BEGAN TO CRY.

WELL, I COULDN’T DO IT, I KEPT THINKING OF WHAT HE’D SAID,
SO I RELEASED HIS TREMBLING BODY AND PATTED HIS FURRY HEAD.
AS HE LEFT MY CELL THAT NIGHT, AND WAS STANDING ON THE TIER,
I NOTICED THAT HIS FACE WAS NO LONGER FULL OF FEAR.
INSTEAD ON HIS UGLY MUG HE WORE AN EVIL GRIN,
AND THE NEXT WORDS HE SPOKE TO ME SHOWED ME WHAT A FOOL I’D BEEN.

WHY YOU STUPID SUCKER, YOU’RE AS WEAK AS PUPPY PISS,
YOUR BRAIN’S NO BIGGER THAN A MUSTARD SEED, AND YOU’VE GOT A GIRL’S FIST!

AND THEN HE SAID BEFORE I GO, HERE’S SOME ADVICE THAT’S TRUE,
GET YOUR SHIT TOGETHER OR THEY’LL MAKE A SISSY OUT OF YOU!
THE LITTLE SHIT THEN FLIPPED ME OFF AND PROUDLY WALKED AWAY,
DISAPPEARING FROM MY SIGHT, BEFORE I COULD THINK OF ANYTHING TO SAY.

I GUESS I SHOULD BE MAD AT HIM, BUT IN A WAY I’M NOT,
FOR THAT DARLING LITTLE CREATURE REALLY TAUGHT ME QUITE A LOT.
SO ANYONE WHO MAY READ THIS, DOING TIME BEHIND STONE WALLS,
PERHAPS YOU’LL CATCH MY LITTLE FRIEND WITH THE TATTOO ON HIS PAW.
WHATEVER YOU DO, REMEMBER MY TALE AND SHOW A LITTLE RESPECT,
TELL HIM YOU’RE A FRIEND OF MINE, AND BREAK HIS LITTLE NECK!

            ...................................

                       RICHARD ROSSI