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                                                                                                                                                                                              5
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                                                                                                                                                                              10
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                                                                                                                                                                        15
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                                                                                                                                                                                                                20
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                                                                                                                                                                                 25
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                                                                                                                                                                                                                      30
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                                                                                                                                                                                             35
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                                                                                                                                                          40
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?                                                                                                                                                                                                                        45
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                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      50
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                                                                                                                                                                    55
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                                                                                                                                                                                 60
She didn’t even blink
What did it matter?
It would all be silent soon
The warden walked up behind the soldiers
Ready!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        65
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                                                                                                                                                                      70