Giving Thanks

The leader of the gentlemen proposed a toast
He raised his metal cup
With pause, he thought for a moment
Trying to find a subject worthy of praise
Skimming the room
His eyes looked past the steel bars at the windows
His gaze carried him beyond the armed guards at the door
His vision pierced even the dead men
Swinging from the gallows on the other side
"Gentlemen, a toast to our shared perseverance
And to our continued longevity
To life, to love, and liberty
And to the freedom of our shared pursuit of happiness."
The men who still had limbs intact
Raised their iron goblets with him
And those who no longer had hands
Nodded to show approval
Some of them even shed tears
As they thanked God and man and liberty alike
Never dwelling on their losses
Rather, they focused on what they still had
Giving thanks for their mutilations
Giving thanks for their impending execution

Her Eyes Shining

She appeared before me
Wearing a dress
Made of bloodstains and smoke
Black powder poured from her mouth and nose
Her toes curled in
Her tongue protruding, swollen
Her arms outstretched
Like a disgraced puritan in stocks
Inviting me to dance
One last time
To my favorite song
And move together
In the same way
I turned my back
In the same manner
In which I tried to forget our past
Our bodies intertwined
As only secret love
Can twist and curl
Until the bones break
Until the floor is painted a new shade
Her eyes shining like a Parabellum
A hollow point engaged at the chamber
Ready to ignite and create a passage
Where I will sit
Where I will stare
Where I will wait
For my mistress to turn me away again