Never Again

A very short story in free verse form. This is a dark poem and is meant for mature audiences only.

He sits on his bed, head in hands.

Tries to shut out the annoying sounds around him.

He thinks of his wife and two children.  He cries.

Never again will he do such a thing.  Never again.

 

He sat there awaiting his day of judgment,

And upon sitting there, in that hard wooden chair,

He saw his wife.  Tears filled with fear and questions.

Never again will he see such a thing.  Never again.

 

Sitting on the bed he cries,

And upon crying he sees his daughter.  Her face,

Twisted in horror as she screams and falls down the stairs.

Never again will he hear such a thing.  Never again.

 

The sounds about him are racking his brain.

And upon his confusion of noise, he thought of his son.

He felt his son’s blood soak through the shirt and run through his fingers.

Never again will he feel such a thing.  Never again.

 

Silence.  Dead, still silence.  As quiet as death, maybe more.

Amongst this silence all await to hear the judgment.

They stare at him.  All are anxious and waiting.

Never again will they stare at him.  Never again.

 

It is time for his judgment.  He stands quietly.

Straight and still he stands.  Still as the dead.  He has never stood so still.

Guilty he pleads and guilty he has been convicted of murder.

Never again will he be convicted of such a thing.  Never again.

 

His head hangs low as he is escorted away.

Now, as his time grows nearer,

Nearer to his final hour, his head hangs low and he waits.

Never again will he wait for such a thing.  Never again.

 

It is midnight.  He comes staggering in.  His wife awakens.

Some words, many vulgar, are said.  The abuse has started.

His wife cries.  He pulls the trigger and shoots her through the heart.

Never again will he do such a thing.  Never again.

 

His children awaken suddenly.  Standing at the top of the stairs

And gun in his hand, he orders them to return to bed.  They refuse.

Dropping the gun, he tries force.  They still refuse.  He pushes down the stairs breaking her neck.

Never again will he push his daughter.  Never again.

 

His son, at ten, is the older of the two.  He tries to be smart.  He returns to bed.

His father slowly follows.  Silently he picks up a broken piece of glass

Uncontrollably he stabs his son seven times.  Holding his son he realizes his deed.

Never again will he do such a thing.  Never again.

 

He is now being escorted down a long, dark hall to a room at the far end.

“The Electric Chair”, the sign reads.  Six years of regret now come to an end.

After being strapped to the chair a priest asks “Any last words?”

He says, “I only have one thing to say: Never again.”

Author's Note

Be honest. This is my first post.