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Duel of Death

The coldness of the night had past, The light was set the die was cast, A pair of mortals faced each other, Neither thinking of his mother.  Each with an evil glint in his eye,  Each one determined the other would die  One man week and one man strong,   Each one certain the other with was wrong. Two men gaunt and two men true, stood beside as seconds  do, One  advanced and with a a nod, Placed Pistols chasied upon the sod. Below amid the darkened trees, As heaven creates a silent breeze, A frail and fretful figure stands, Her heart was twisting like her hands.   Two Guns long in fists of might, Two guns aimed at death in sight,  Over the rims they saw each other, Man to man and brother to brother. A mother's heart was pensive still, Could she stop this deadly skill. When each soul was bent upon. Destruction of the other one. The master of the dual grim, Whose face was set, whose eyes were dim, He raised his hand alloft on high, Until it almost reached the sky. The debt to mother love he'd pay, If he could stop this deadly fray, But now the pennant white was drawn. The hope of Rescue was forlorn.  It  poised and then to earth it fell, To cast a sinner down to Hell, Each player poised on  bated breath A trigger squeeze and then came death. It hit  the taller of the two, The Bullet to his heart it flew, Out from his lips their  came and groan, And  from the trees a dreadful moan. The mother to her knees did fall,  And knelt beside her young son Paul, Grief stricken  with the thought of him, Who had done this to his next of kin. The slayer now with head low  bent, Whose heart was torn, whose soul was rent. Advanced  a pace  towards his brother, And gazed with sadness on his mother.  With loving gaze and tender touch,  Knowing that she'd suffered much,  the son who triumphed over death,  Looked down at her with bated breath. She turned and looked at him with hate, He who had made his brother's fate, And  picking up the unfired gun, She aimed and killed her other son. His look no pity  could impart, And it passed heavy  her heart, Across his brothers corpse he fell, And Satan claimed two more for hell. The mother now for murder stood, Upon a gallows made of wood, A hangman's noose, for her was made, Justice for her crime was paid.

Copyright © | Year Posted 2022




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Book: Shattered Sighs