Aftermath
They waited not a moment longer than was necessary
But moved right in and
Began their loathsome chore.
All who bore the sad sight witness
Felt the sorrow stab their hearts.
Their tears were copious and bitter
Yet eased not their anguish and despair.
Their souls, collective, cried out as one:
"We will have a scapegoat! We will find
That one among us with the most to lose
And the least to gain!"
Complicity need not be a factor.
Judgment is based upon selection by the mob
Which has no obligation to establish innocence or guilt
Being a capricious beast with blind emotion as its only eye.
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Author's Note
Published in 2000 in the anthology 'America At The Millenium', edited by Howard Ely.
Other stories by sean m. poole
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Do stories speak? This poem does. Thank you.
I like this, but if reworked as a song. As a poem, it needs to show more, not tell.
Matthew, Less is more. Poems tell. Songs sing. Pictures show. It's Ok that you don't get it. Thanks for taking the time to read and comment.
It was the title which first grabbed me, Sean, and I 'waited not a moment before moving in'! I love the atmosphere and 'cutting' feeling created, perhaps, by the alliteration of cutting sounds. Great! *