THE EVERYDAY RUFFIANS OF THE CON

They stayed up late
until the mead runneth over
the special tankard's edges.
The glints of their blades
were present in their eyes
when they played cards,-
and they displayed appropriate
disapproving chortles
at racial jokes said in jest.

Between the comradery,
apple pie was downed
faster than a camel's gait.
"I don't consume pie," one said.
"A virtuous choice,"
said another, with a mouthful of pie.
"Your compliment is an insult!
You would not know virtue
if it bit you on the arse!"

In the midst of the too many clothes
and also the too little clothes,
with rare exception,
the menfolk behaved like
disreputable gentlemen.
But on those rare occasions
where one did behave uncouth,
other men did at times join in
the chastising of their peer;
and would have gone to arms,
if necessary,
to preserve the dignity of a lady.

When all was said and done,
they slept like any other people.
And when the persistent sunlight
beat their eyelids
-until the world opened in blurry wonder,-
they returned to their (other) homes' tribes.
To remain dispersed in society until the next time
their kind would sojourn under the same roof,
following the same number of many waiting moons.