Execution

January first, 2010

Three pudgy-muscled guards walked

down the black frozen hall of death row

The prisoners all hissed coldly at them

The stone-faced guards didn’t care

They had their eyes on one prisoner this morning

The guards walked over to cell number 681

Inside, an apathy-filled mother sat on the ground

Her eyes red with long overdue anger

She would join those fifteen lives she ended

The main guard unlocked the cell door

“Get up, it’s time!”

She spits onto the ground as an answer

The other two guards came in and grabbed her

They cuffed her and walked her out of her cage

The other prisoners make cat calls at her

Traveling Pretty pretends not to hear them

She’s got other things on her mind

She will have her last feast and then taste lead for good

But, she wasn’t scared

Her emotions died a long time ago

All but one

Rage ate at her soul like a rabid hungry animal

She still wanted blood

Her days of killing sang loudly in her head

Oh what great glory days

What she would give to have one more day and one more kill

One more day…

The guards took her into the room where the last meal was to be served

They sat her down

A cold tray of festive colors sat before her

The food looked so good

Sunshine-yellow corn

Rich, juicy turkey

Healthy, firm, cooked green beans

Sickeningly-sweet fresh-baked brownie to finish it all

She looks at the meal and sneers

With one violent kamikaze sweep,

The tray crashes to the hard, cold floor

The Red River Killer demands hard Jonnie Walker Black

The guards give a crisp fresh bottle and a crystal-clear glass

Gladly, the woman helps herself to her last drink

As a final aimless protest

She gives them two black-grime laced birds

What’s the point?

It’ll all be over soon

The walk begins again and ends in the yard

Thirteen well-dressed gentlemen soldiers are waiting

AK-47 rifles in their hands

This is it

This is the highlight of the year

The guards walk her out onto the yard and tie her down

They walk away mute

She looks out to the sea of faces

Many of them families of the victims that she killed

They silently waited for this monster to feel the long years of pain they have felt

No one shed a tear for her

Earlier on the outside, protesters gathered to cry out the evils of this execution

The doctor just drove past them to enter the prison

The Red River Killer let her mind go blank

She didn’t even blink

What did it matter?

It would all be silent soon

The warden walked up behind the soldiers

Ready!

Aim!

FIRE!!!

Heavy shots rang out into the night

Red blood flew up into the air

Silence as the pure white snow fell to the ground