by Clarence Lamberth

Created on: September 06, 2008   Last Updated: September 14, 2008

Dangerous Children

Comes the blade with wicked flash,
Purposely thrown it flies,
Through the air in flickering slash,
While shocked curses arise!

Hungrily seeking its living mark,
Flight true and good,
Burrowing on impact to the heart,
Cold shedder of blood!

The crowd is quiet as one man falls,
Eyes wide in disbelief,
From the church steeple a raven calls,
Frightful cry of grief!

Crimson life ebbs to a pool in the dirt,
As the jackdaw loudly cries,
Remorse springs in a tiny niggling hurt,
Expressed in one small sigh!

Eyes set like flints the killer strides,
Over the fallen foe to stand,
Face a grim mask, rising anguish hides,
At taking the life of the man!

No congratulatory cries filled his ears,
As he pulled loose the blade,
Within he cringed at the unspoken jeers,
For the horror he had made!

Turning quick to avoid accusing looks,
He stalked away in silence,
Confused by grief for the life he took,
In that swift act of violence!

Truly challenged in starkest terms,
By he who now lay dead,
A brash young man now food for worms,
By reason of what he'd said!

Crass insults driven by drink and youth,
So stinging at the time,
Clearly realized to be nothing in truth,
Hard truth so sanguine!

Though not the first death he'd wrought,
Oddly it fostered shame,
Others he'd slain with no after thought,
Feeling no doubt or blame!

Riding away certain that young man's face,
Would haunt him to the grave,
The killer vowed never, by our God's grace,
Would he play again the knave!

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