May 15, 2004

The Gift

She stood across the street,

Watching him

Whom she loved.

She had planned to give him a gift that night,

But it had been stolen from her

On her way to the restaurant.

She looked down at her clothes,

Torn by the thief,

Stained with the blood of her gift,

Then back at the man.

He checked his watch

Sighed, and stood.

She watched him leave,

Abandoning the bouquet in a garbage can.

One petal drifted to the ground,

Red as the blood on her clothes

And crushed by the rain.

She held steel death in her hand

And raised it to her heart.

Her final goody-bye to her lover

Was lost amidst the downpour.

He heard the shot and turned

Watched in horror as he saw her body

Crumple to the ground

And knew he would never see her smile again.

Rape

He was told afterward

Had driven her to it.

He told her at her funeral

That he would not have cared.

He told her at her funeral

That he loved her.