Poetry Today: Trends and Traditions
Lethal Lyrics for Serial Killers
July 2016
Formatted, Introduced & Critiqued
by Anthony Servante
Introduction:
This month's poetry column presented a problem because it deals with such a horrific subject matter. I commonly provide pictures to accompany the poems and this column was no exception. The problem that presented itself dealt with the vast availability of gruesome crime scene photos and autopsy graphics. However tempted I was to use these pictures for the poems that were written for and about "killers", I just could not detract attention from the poetry and onto the crimes and victims by pairing poems with bloody depictions of mutilation and cannibalism.
As such, I chose to let the poets tell the story through their words, and I used pictures that were grotesque but cryptic and vague. As much as I wanted to show the horror, I preferred to allow the poets to describe for you the acts of murder and mayhem. I believe that the horror of your imagination is more effective than the photo of a corpse. Since I decided to include poems about nonfiction "serial killers" along with with poems that portray real killers, I wanted to tone down the gore. Oh, there's plenty of gore. Don't get me wrong. But the grotesque elements of death and murder will be handled by the poets, not the blogger who adds pictures to the poems.
So let's meet our poets for the July poetry column. Please welcome Howard Carlyle, Coralie Rowe, D.S. Scott, Anthony Crowley, and Billie Sue Mosiman.
We begin with Howard.
Howard Carlyle
Painting by Gacy
Killer Clown (John Wayne Gacy)
Despised and beaten by
his father so that no good
was left inside him,
His intention was to make
his victims final hours
brutally grim.
He hid behind a mask to
become the character of
Pogo The Clown,
The local hired Entertainment
at parties in his home town.
He painted on the mask to
portray a happy jolly man...
While boiling up inside him
was a gruesome murderous plan.
He snared teenage boys
and young men by
deception and Force,
Just so he could let his plans
run their 'unnatural course'.
All of The Killer Clowns victims
were slain in his own home,
He had control without
disturbance knowing he was
safe in his own killing zone.
The last thing they saw was
the look on his evil face,
26 of them were hidden at
at his house In the crawl
space.
Four of his victims Were
dumped in the local river
like trash,
The final chapter of their
lives ended in the dead of
night with a splash.
Three more bodies were found
buried on his land,
Their lives Snuffed out without
a care by The Killer Clowns
own murderous hand.
He paid for his crimes,
On 10th may 1994 of murder,
rape and deception,
Where he died in the
Stateville Correctional centre
And justice prevailed...
With a Lethal injection.
©Howard Carlyle.
Jeffrey Dahmer Panel
Apartment 213 (Jeffrey Dahmer)
He'd lure men back
To his appartment
Block,
It was to be their last
days as he turned
the key in the lock.
With the door
secured behind them
with no chance
of escape,
His victims fooled by
his charm but by then
it was too late.
Sedated and handcuffed
to an old radiator,
So he could satisfy his
own sadistic needs later.
He'd sit and torment them
for his own twisted fun,
He liked to burn them
with cigarettes or pistol
whip them with his gun.
Sometimes he liked to
slash them with his
trusty old knife,
Or give them false hope
that he may spare
their life.
He'd built himself an
altar where his rituals
took place,
A razor was used to
carefully remove their
face.
He'd like to wear their
Skin like a Halloween
Mask,
All in a day's work for
him..it was never an
arduous task.
He'd leave their heads
Boiling in an old cooking
pot,
Adding spices here and
There while cooking up a
broth.
The one thing he did was
keep their eyes in a jar,
He couldn't give up now...
his addiction had gone
too far.
He lived in a house of
Horror with blood on
Every wall,
Until one day when he
made a mistake..and
Someone made that
Call.
The police came and
smashed their way in..
It had 213 on the door,
Some cops stopped to
Take a look,
Others threw up on
the blood Encrusted
Floor.
He made his getaway and
the cops gave chase
through every street and
alleyway,
But this guy was cunning
and sly and made good
his get away.
He swam across the
river where upon he
reached the shore,
Then disappeared into
the night and was seen...
no more.
The Internal Self
Blending In
Being like a movie star
he's just an actor playing a part
Take a look into his eyes
while he cuts out your beating heart
He'll put on a friendly face
Just to gain your trust
The urge to satisfy his need
is a sickening must
Experience means his methods
Experience means his methods
Over the years they have evolved
his victims placed in vat of acid
Each one of them dissolved
20 years to master his craft
20 years to master his craft
and now he blends into any crowd
This makes him more dangerous
....of all his work he's very proud
No one has suspicions
No one has suspicions
of the things that he can do
They'd be sickened by what
he was capable of if they only knew
It takes a caculating mind
It takes a caculating mind
to commit murder and mutilation,
All of those he slaughtered were
Fooled by his cunning persuasion.
He goes about his business unnoticed..
He goes about his business unnoticed..
just like you and I
But when he feels that sudden urge
then someone has to die
With blackened out windows
With blackened out windows
in his rusted old white van,
It has plenty of space for his next victim..
be it a woman or a man.
He has no remorse
He has no remorse
and is void of all fear,
He has no guilt of the blood he's
Spilt..his conscience always clear.
Just hope you never meet him and
Just hope you never meet him and
He never stares into your eyes
because you'll be next this killers
List to meet your bloody demise
(C) Howard Carlyle 2016 (Edited Version)
(C) Howard Carlyle 2016 (Edited Version)
Killer Point of View
(Jack) The Ripper
Dank and dark are the nights
On which he travels forth
He awaits the heavy misting fogs
Then into the marbling grey he morphs
He shadows the darkened buildings
He shadows the darkened buildings
Dissolving into alleys of ashen black
Stalking inhabitants of the east end
Searching for his chosen victim to attack
He seeks out the wretched poppets
He seeks out the wretched poppets
Painted ladies of a wanton life
He follows them through the empty streets
Until the time is just right for strife
He then severs their throats so effortlessly
He then severs their throats so effortlessly
Watching as they crumble to the cobbled street
Then quickly he performs his macabre operations
Slicing through skin, veins and quivering meat
He learns from each new quarry he takes
He learns from each new quarry he takes
Dissecting each one just that little bit more
Ripping apart their inner anatomy
Selecting a trophy from his night's work of gore
Persuing these maniacal tendencies
Persuing these maniacal tendencies
Leaving slaughtered women in his aftermath
A dire testament to his homicidal rage
Shown in his killing with such psychotic wrath
Slashing through their pallid white flesh
Slashing through their pallid white flesh
The blade growing slick as their blood does seep
His last victim left in the ultimate mess
Eviscerated to pieces, but her heart he did keep
Profiled as an aristocratic predator
Profiled as an aristocratic predator
A demonic parasite of the night
A shadowing man in top hat and cape
His true identity never brought to light
Coralie Rowe
The Backpacker Trapper
To those of you who enjoy tracking
Coralie Rowe
Wolf Creek Killer
The Backpacker Trapper
To those of you who enjoy tracking
Across the country backpacking
Let me tell you a little ditty
From the land of Oz, it ain't pretty
Travelling out here when you're alone
Travelling out here when you're alone
Ain't like traveling in your own home
Miles and miles, of roads to nowhere
Better be wary, you'll get lost out there
So you think you're safe cos your travelin as two
So you think you're safe cos your travelin as two
It's all good, you've ya girl or a mate with you
Backpack loaded high with all ya gear
Travelin free, with nothing to fear
But not all strangers you're gonna meet
But not all strangers you're gonna meet
Are recommended for you to greet
There's one, who wanders out by himself
Taking lives and trophies to keep on his shelf
This one, he'd go huntin and a trappin
This one, he'd go huntin and a trappin
Looking for you all, who go backpackin
Then when you'd stop to go sightseeing
He'd immobilize your car, to stop you fleeing
Then he'd come along to help with your plight
Then he'd come along to help with your plight
But you'd never know he planned it, right
You'd see him as a helpful Aussie guy
Falling for his trap, he's so deceitfully sly
Taking you back to his lil hideaway
Taking you back to his lil hideaway
For the night he'd convince ya to stay
Havin a laugh and maybe a drink
He's an ok guy, you're starting to think
Then suddenly he just comes out with his knife
Then suddenly he just comes out with his knife
Bloody hell… he's just stabbed you twice
He then randomly throws in, a few stabs more
Grinning fiendishly, through the blood and gore
He has the laugh of a maniacal hyena
He has the laugh of a maniacal hyena
But it's to late to run, he's already seen to ya
And while you lie bleeding out in the mud
He decapitates your girl, you hear the hollow thud
Then when he's finished his killing wave
Then when he's finished his killing wave
He will place ya into a ritual grave
Then back out to the deserted roads to prey
Awaiting the next backpacker to come his way
(Based on the Wolf Creek Killer, Ivan Milat).
Coralie Rowe
(Based on the Wolf Creek Killer, Ivan Milat).
Coralie Rowe
Snowtown* Murder Crime Scene
The Bodies in the Barrels
A twisted pile
Of human scum
Used their evil
To make lives, undone
Taking them apart
Taking them apart
In the family's bath
They hacked and sawed
A communal wrath
A mob of men
A mob of men
Who decided the fates
A fiendish demolition
Of family and mates
Collecting the bodies
Collecting the bodies
And their broken parts
Placed in acid barrels
Then left, to rot apart
Hidden in a disused vault
Hidden in a disused vault
In a small country town bank
A depository of death
Filled with a smell so rank
Four vindictive men
Four vindictive men
A seven year killing spree
Now they are rotting, in jail
Never to be set free
*Based on the Snowtown murders in South Australia.
Coralie Rowe
A Home For The Dead
A mansion's silhouette
It simmers inside him this fury
The Cello Man
by
D. S. Scott
See the cello man
Walking down the street
Carrying his case
Humming himself a tune
He finds a street corner
Surveys the area
Puts his case down
It’s time for the music to begin
He holds his cello like he’d hold a woman
Ever so gentle
Ever so careful
He’s had experience
He folds his hands together
Cracks his knuckles
His screaming fingers pierce the silence
The cold air wreaks havoc on them
But the music must go on
He observes the scenery
Looking for his next prey
He plays for his prey
He plays with his prey
Closing his eyes
He plucks at the cords
They produce a soft bumping sound
He’s almost ready
Now he takes his hair strung bow
Takes it in his right hand
Looks it over
Then rests it against the first cord
Holding the cello upright in his left hand
Holding down the strings with his aching fingers
He gets ready to play
Play like never before
He leans against the brick wall
One foot on the concrete
The other flat against the wall
He’s propped up perfectly
Now it’s time
He starts out slow
A soft but meaningful tone fills the air
Then he builds up speed
He finds his rhythm
It’s been a while since he last played
You see he’s now in the business of making cellos
This takes time…
When you have everything to lose
His hands move faster and faster
They become a blur
You can barely see them
Even if you look hard
But you would have to look much harder
To see the true craftsmanship
Study the hollow body
And the strings
For they are not what they appear
The strings from the bow do not come from a horse
The cord is not from wire
The body isn’t even wood
He plays for his prey
Here comes one now
A pretty young thing
Blonde hair and smooth skin
She will do nicely
He draws her in
Weaves his web like a spider
Only his spindles are his notes
She comes closer
Stands and listens
She closes her eyes and concentrates
So does the cello man
She listens to the music
The tune flowing through her soul
The music grabs her full attention
And the cello man grabs her arm
The music stops
She opens her eyes
What is this?
What is happening?
You see this old cello
Worked on over tireless days and nights
Isn’t quite right
It must be rebuilt
The cello man beams at her
He’s found his new parts
Her hair for the bow
Her tendons for the cords
A body for the body
And bone for the base
The stars above shine bright
The night is young
But the cello man worries not
She won’t tell
He breaks her neck
Quick and quiet-like
Stuffs her body in the case
And carries her into the darkness
See the cello man
Walking down the street
Carrying his case
Humming himself a new tune
With his cello complete
And with watchful eyes
The cello man gets ready
It’s time for the music to continue
The Hunt
By D. S. Scott
I’ve studied you close
I watched you from afar
You are the only thing in my sight
And yet I’m invisible to you
I first saw you last week
And I knew you were perfect
You’re the only one for me
Well … right after the last six
I watch you when you sleep
I watch you when you eat
You’re so oblivious to what’s coming
It’s beautiful … like you
I’m with you during the day
And I’m with you at night
I am always near
Like a shadow follows the light
I will wait for as long as it takes
And the moment will come
I myself cannot eat
I just can’t sleep
And I barely feel
You are the one thing on my mind
You haunt me without knowing
God, I need you so bad
And I’ll have you too
Every moment
Every minute
Every hour
Of every day
You have no clue
You never notice
You’re mine
You just don’t know it yet
You must see me
You have to know
You can’t deny me
You can’t ignore my love
I watch you go about your day
I watch you go to work
I see you leave
And I follow you home
The time is close
I can feel it in my bones
I only have one fear
I don’t want to rush things
I know how women like you are
You have to take things slow
Don’t worry
We’ll have plenty of time together
And you’ll get to know me just fine
Tonight you come home
And I can see it’s time
I run to hold the door open for you
And you come so close I can smell you
You give me a smile
You flutter your eyes
You know I’m here for you
You can’t be that blind
I give you a polite smile back
You look at me like you know me
But you’re not sure where from
See, I’m the man that wants you
I’m the guy you see at the park
I’m the one you see in the restaurant
I’m the person whose eyes you can feel
And I’m the killer who will have you
You look away again
You think nothing of that thought
I look somewhat familiar
But not enough to register
I follow you down the hall
Staying close behind
You know I’m behind you
But you don’t suspect a thing
Finally, you get to your door
You make a half turn and see me
An odd expression crosses your face
But you’re still not too concerned
Then as you put your key in
I come up closer behind
The door swings open
It’s now I make my move
I place my hand over your mouth
And I push you inside
I slam the door behind us
And I breathe in your ear
You have no idea what I want
But I definitely do
And so I tell you
It’s time to begin
I turn towards the door
And peak out through the eyehole
No one’s there to interrupt us
Just how I like it
But when I turn back to grab you
I see the gun in my face
You yell something about being the police
And I feel a quiver in my gut
This isn’t what I planned
This can’t be right
For I am The Shadow
You are my light
And this was supposed to be my hunt
… Not yours
Feast - © D. S. Scott - 2015
*Based on the Snowtown murders in South Australia.
Coralie Rowe
Rose Red Mansion
A Home For The Dead
A mansion's silhouette
Sits dark upon a hill
Decades she has sat empty
No love or laughter to fill
She lies there black & morbid
She lies there black & morbid
A demonic work of art
Even though no one lives there
Occasionally the curtains part
Is there a breeze moving them
Is there a breeze moving them
From a broken window pane
Or do captured souls peek out
Fervently awaiting in vain
She stands stoic and beautiful
She stands stoic and beautiful
Patiently awaiting the day
For people to walk in the door
Her personal preference of prey
She has rooms of splendor & taste
She has rooms of splendor & taste
Parlours of divine magnificence
Hallways that seem to go on for ever
She's a malicious twisted labyrinth
This ectopic stately home is built
This ectopic stately home is built
On foundations of vile corruption
Her first victim's spirits claimed
On the eve of her construction
A taste for souls has this house
A taste for souls has this house
She collects and makes them pay
Keeping them in hell for eternity
Providing bricks & mortar to lay
The Mistress to whom this home belongs
The Mistress to whom this home belongs
Her footsteps sound is feared
Even though it has been many years
Since she just simply disappeared
Each death to which she conspires
Each death to which she conspires
Forever inside her they dwell
Bringing her back to life each day
Building a devilish villa of hell
A grandiose opulent display
A grandiose opulent display
Being built by the living dead
A maleficent growing home
Fondly named "Rose Red "
Coralie Rowe
His Beast
Coralie Rowe
Beast
His Beast
It simmers inside him this fury
A consuming fire that burns
But noone ever pays heed
They just never, ever learn
He keeps hisself so quiet
He keeps hisself so quiet
Trying to hide this tormenting rage
But how does he control the beast
If he, is its only cage
He continues to fight it daily
He continues to fight it daily
He normally wins the fight
Yet somedays he can't appease it
And it boils over at the smallest slight
Then the beast is unloosed
Then the beast is unloosed
He quivers with an unbridled need
The demon that lies inside of him
Rises now to complete the deed
Taking the one who prevoked
Taking the one who prevoked
This insatiable need to excise
He lays you out on the table
Placing your head, tight in a vice
Painstakingly slowly
Painstakingly slowly
He will rip the skin from your face
Relishing in your agony
As you thrash about the place
Turning the handle leisurely
Turning the handle leisurely
As the pressure he begins to increase
Watching whats left of your face intently
As the muscles and bones crease
Memorizing the moment
Memorizing the moment
That sweet addictive rush
Watching your eyes begin to bulge
As your skull he starts to crush
Coralie Rowe
Sweet Mistress Mary
Oh sweet Mary, whom was quite contrary
Mary Contrary
Sweet Mistress Mary
Oh sweet Mary, whom was quite contrary
Stood watching her garden grow
She had six maidens fair with golden hair
All lined up in a pretty little row
Their heads had been chopped
Arms and legs hacksawed off
Their innards tied into beautiful bows
For Mistress Mary
Was the bane of many
Always winning the gardening shows
Her magnolias were always the best every year
For to one simple rule did she adhere
The best thing of all to make magnolias grow
Is six pretty little maidens
Buried under the hedgerow
Coralie Rowe
Coralie Rowe
Many Faces
Execrated Existence
The skin on his scalp is crawling
The skin on his scalp is crawling
A sensation of prickling torment
A precursor of a dire warning
His blood, it starts to ferment
A fever that is all consuming
A fever that is all consuming
It swallows his senses whole
His psychosis is resuming
Sweet madness does cajole
Distorting his thoughts with ire
Distorting his thoughts with ire
He does not seek to repent
Devoured with a burning desire
Into his insanity, he has been sent
His raging complusions emerge
His raging complusions emerge
A derisive twist upon his face
Caught up in this malicious surge
His heart pounds at a furious pace
His whole being aches with a need
His whole being aches with a need
An addiction for blood and gore
Completing with pleasure the deed
The agonized screaming, he adores
Sustaining this torturous pain
Sustaining this torturous pain
He relishes in your death this night
Dissevering you again and again
Engrossed in your morbid plight
Coralie Rowe
From Hell Panel**
The Ripper
I drift slowly through the still of the night
Sounds of drunken laughter amidst the echoing of footsteps aloud
Another arousing temptation to end another life
Amongst the deadness of this dirty, filthy crowd.
Streets filled with sickness, decay and lower standards
of humanity
‘I have to butcher at least
ten this evening to make it a fulfilling appetite’
The implements of death I have are a delight for my victim
The suffering arouses me,
like a peaceful and cleansing momentous cure
I shall take her by the
grasp of her throat, unknowing of what she’ll endure..
I can feel her shivering at an alarming rate
Her soul drowns
with bitter flooded tears
As her warm breathe
begins to glow on this east end street…
I cut a deep incision
into the skin under the breast
The venom of redness
quickly flows down the slender of her milk white skin
I succumb to endless
excitement, as I drag her across the mist-filled alley
I tear off her clothes
revealing an innocent vision of dire lust
The crimson drops trickle slowly upon the frosted floor
Stitched together her
dirty skinned labia
I gaze upon my victim with a twitch in my preying eyes
The locals shall laugh no
more, this gift I’ll leave behind
This deceased surprise…..
I gather my blood stained tools while my stagecoach awaits..
They shall remember my darkened shadow As I drift in the dead
of the night
Through those hellish
gates.
© ANTHONY CROWLEY copyrighted 2013,2014
by
D. S. Scott
See the cello man
Walking down the street
Carrying his case
Humming himself a tune
He finds a street corner
Surveys the area
Puts his case down
It’s time for the music to begin
He holds his cello like he’d hold a woman
Ever so gentle
Ever so careful
He’s had experience
He folds his hands together
Cracks his knuckles
His screaming fingers pierce the silence
The cold air wreaks havoc on them
But the music must go on
He observes the scenery
Looking for his next prey
He plays for his prey
He plays with his prey
Closing his eyes
He plucks at the cords
They produce a soft bumping sound
He’s almost ready
Now he takes his hair strung bow
Takes it in his right hand
Looks it over
Then rests it against the first cord
Holding the cello upright in his left hand
Holding down the strings with his aching fingers
He gets ready to play
Play like never before
He leans against the brick wall
One foot on the concrete
The other flat against the wall
He’s propped up perfectly
Now it’s time
He starts out slow
A soft but meaningful tone fills the air
Then he builds up speed
He finds his rhythm
It’s been a while since he last played
You see he’s now in the business of making cellos
This takes time…
When you have everything to lose
His hands move faster and faster
They become a blur
You can barely see them
Even if you look hard
But you would have to look much harder
To see the true craftsmanship
Study the hollow body
And the strings
For they are not what they appear
The strings from the bow do not come from a horse
The cord is not from wire
The body isn’t even wood
He plays for his prey
Here comes one now
A pretty young thing
Blonde hair and smooth skin
She will do nicely
He draws her in
Weaves his web like a spider
Only his spindles are his notes
She comes closer
Stands and listens
She closes her eyes and concentrates
So does the cello man
She listens to the music
The tune flowing through her soul
The music grabs her full attention
And the cello man grabs her arm
The music stops
She opens her eyes
What is this?
What is happening?
You see this old cello
Worked on over tireless days and nights
Isn’t quite right
It must be rebuilt
The cello man beams at her
He’s found his new parts
Her hair for the bow
Her tendons for the cords
A body for the body
And bone for the base
The stars above shine bright
The night is young
But the cello man worries not
She won’t tell
He breaks her neck
Quick and quiet-like
Stuffs her body in the case
And carries her into the darkness
See the cello man
Walking down the street
Carrying his case
Humming himself a new tune
With his cello complete
And with watchful eyes
The cello man gets ready
It’s time for the music to continue
The Shadow Killer
The Hunt
By D. S. Scott
I’ve studied you close
I watched you from afar
You are the only thing in my sight
And yet I’m invisible to you
I first saw you last week
And I knew you were perfect
You’re the only one for me
Well … right after the last six
I watch you when you sleep
I watch you when you eat
You’re so oblivious to what’s coming
It’s beautiful … like you
I’m with you during the day
And I’m with you at night
I am always near
Like a shadow follows the light
I will wait for as long as it takes
And the moment will come
I myself cannot eat
I just can’t sleep
And I barely feel
You are the one thing on my mind
You haunt me without knowing
God, I need you so bad
And I’ll have you too
Every moment
Every minute
Every hour
Of every day
You have no clue
You never notice
You’re mine
You just don’t know it yet
You must see me
You have to know
You can’t deny me
You can’t ignore my love
I watch you go about your day
I watch you go to work
I see you leave
And I follow you home
The time is close
I can feel it in my bones
I only have one fear
I don’t want to rush things
I know how women like you are
You have to take things slow
Don’t worry
We’ll have plenty of time together
And you’ll get to know me just fine
Tonight you come home
And I can see it’s time
I run to hold the door open for you
And you come so close I can smell you
You give me a smile
You flutter your eyes
You know I’m here for you
You can’t be that blind
I give you a polite smile back
You look at me like you know me
But you’re not sure where from
See, I’m the man that wants you
I’m the guy you see at the park
I’m the one you see in the restaurant
I’m the person whose eyes you can feel
And I’m the killer who will have you
You look away again
You think nothing of that thought
I look somewhat familiar
But not enough to register
I follow you down the hall
Staying close behind
You know I’m behind you
But you don’t suspect a thing
Finally, you get to your door
You make a half turn and see me
An odd expression crosses your face
But you’re still not too concerned
Then as you put your key in
I come up closer behind
The door swings open
It’s now I make my move
I place my hand over your mouth
And I push you inside
I slam the door behind us
And I breathe in your ear
You have no idea what I want
But I definitely do
And so I tell you
It’s time to begin
I turn towards the door
And peak out through the eyehole
No one’s there to interrupt us
Just how I like it
But when I turn back to grab you
I see the gun in my face
You yell something about being the police
And I feel a quiver in my gut
This isn’t what I planned
This can’t be right
For I am The Shadow
You are my light
And this was supposed to be my hunt
… Not yours
Taboo #1 (Fall 1988).
Art by Stephen R. Bissette
Feast - © D. S. Scott - 2015
I raise a glass and make a toast
To the greatest family on earth
To one and all, I have to boast
About each and everyone’s worth
We bless what lies before us all
This wondrous and tasty meal
I stand with pride and oh-so tall
Gazing upon our food with appeal
Joining with us all here tonight
He is our truly, wonderful guest
It is to my own great delight
To say he shall be the very best
Now before we start to dig in
I have a request for you, Mother
Bring the wine so we may begin
Oh, and Sister go grab your brother
As we are now all together here
It is time to end our friend’s life
Nana, would you be such a dear
And please hand me the carving knife
I cut deep into his pale flesh
We all relish at the screams
The arising aroma is so fresh
And I watch as my family beams
Arterial blood splashes here and there
Now that I carve into his rump
To be honest, I do not want to share
But there is plenty, so juicy and plump
Now I tear into the chest cavity
I take my time picking around the bones
I break through the ribs and have a see
Next, pillaging every organ that he owns
So yes, maybe I am some great sinner
I know what I am doing is wrong
But I do so enjoy time for dinner
It is when we can all get along
Come now, what did I just say?
Can we not have a nice dinner for once?
That’s all I ask from you on this day
Or would you like to go on your own hunts?
Come on children, stop your fighting
There is plenty of it to go around
What is before you, you should be biting
Or you know trouble will be found
Finally, we find some rest and peace
Some pleasant quiet all around us
At last, the craziness has come to cease
And there is no more making any fuss
So, together we go about our feast
We shred and devour all the meat
Outsiders would think each of us a beast
But a man and his family have to eat
"Bathe in blood..."
My Fall, My Descent, My Decline - © D. S. Scott - 2016
I have bathed in the blood of the missing
The forsaken and forgotten by all
My prey, my pets and my lovelies
They have borne witness to my fall
I took them away from their lives
I simply stole them all away
They were kept here just for me
And so it is that they should stay
In the deepest depths of despair
I kept them under lock and key
They wallowed in all of their fears
Crying out at what they could see
Now I have all of my supplies
Necessary tools of the trade
I prepare myself for carnage
As naked body on table is laid
I record all my endeavors for posterity
My children are my followers who live on
The video camera is focused on my task
It will be proof of my deeds when I’m gone
It’s been done a thousand times before
But still so hard to make the decision
I wonder where I should begin
Oh, where to make the first incision
Carefully injected with a coagulant
Today’s patient will not bleed
At least not too much, that is to say
All the better to do the deed
Sedated, but not all the way gone
I want to keep him awake and aware
Eyelids cut off to make him watch
I will enjoy his determined stare
I lift my scalpel and study my reflection
Medically trained to the full extent
As I ponder my own deserved fate
I wonder for a moment about my descent
It seems I was not always this way
A boring, normal life I did live
But something changed, for better or worse
And a chance to me fate did give
I will call it an opportunity, if you allow
I find it a wonderful, peaceful release
A way to find my inner self, as it were
And the answer to making my own pain cease
This time though, the pain will be mine
Even though numb, it will still be felt
The cutting and severing will be on me
Then the final, fatal blow will be dealt
I want to be remembered as someone unique
I hope I’m not seen as something easy to define
The differences in us make us who we are
Keep that in mind as you watch my decline
I know it is true, today I will die
All I want is something to leave behind
My greatest desire for after I am gone
To beautifully preserve the darkness of my mind
Cement Shoes
The Others - © D. S. Scott - 2014
Come take a walk down my road
Feeling the gravel crunch beneath your feet
Go past the fields with trees all around
The view of it all, just can’t be beat
As you walk on some more
The surroundings grow dim
You look from side to side
And touch a hanging limb
The noise of hidden animals
Of bugs and insects too
Buzzing around in your ears
An experience so brand new
Now come see the large brick home
The one that I reside in
I welcome you in through the front
And then I’ll bring you into the den
See the photos hanging on the wall
Watch the fireplace being lit
What a beautiful place it is
But that’s not the half of it
Then to the rear of the house
Open wide the back porch door
Ushering you out to see the view
You should have known there would be more
I point out the vast yard I have
Taking you down the steps of the deck
You look at the vista all around
Feeling the warm sun on your neck
But then you finally spot it
The last and best place to see
There it is past the fence
A small pond I made just for me
Stocked with lots of large fish
They love what I give them to eat
I walk you down to the dock now
And show you to the best seat
A comfortable lounging chair
One to relax and sit back
Watching a bird fly overhead
See it perform its hunting attack
Feeling a nice cool breeze
You recline and enjoy the view
With not a care in the world
I realize that this is my cue
I smash a stone against your skull
A nice large round pond rock
You spurt blood from your wound
But there’s no one here to gawk
And now I must tie you up
I do so with a bail of rope
Everything will be perfect
Oh, I really do so hope
Next I put gravel in your pockets
Just enough to weigh you down
I wish you would wake up soon
I can’t wait to watch you drown
Finally, you regain consciousness
You’d scream if you could
But your mouth is full of lake mud
So try not to choke yet, if you would
Next I will stand you up straight
Grabbing you under each arm
Carrying you to the edge of the pond
It is time to now cause you harm
So with one last whisper in your ear
I throw you in with your sisters and brothers
You will not be alone down there
Say hello from me to the others
Grim Sleeper & Known Victims
The Reluctant Killer - © D. S. Scott - 2015
One last time, I’m going to sin
I lie to myself and say it again
The demon’s voices are wailing
And my self-control is failing
I really cannot keep from it anymore
The time has come to embrace the gore
Having nothing else left to do
There is no way to say no to you
As I get ready and start to prepare
I try to fight back my sense of care
I wish I could get better but it is too late
There is just no way I can rehabilitate
Now with complete control over me
You gave me blinders, the rage all I can see
As much as I would like to go and fight it
I have to submit, I must stay quiet
I realize tonight will be number ten
Oh, what fun each family has been
I slash and shred until nothing is left
Finally, their lives will be my theft
Not until though, not until
There is so much to do, still
I have found that their crying is a curse
But at least it is they that do it worse
I cannot, will not show my pain
I do not have a conscience, I am insane
I must not show them, I too am weak
Or the reasoning behind this they will seek
Asking their questions, they cry out
They plead, beg for mercy and always shout
I pretend their cries fall on deaf ears
When I, myself, have to fight back tears
I can feel my anger begin to turn
It is when my eyes start to burn
Over and over, the voices urge me on
My God, I wish I would want them gone
Taking my anger out on them
I go without plan and act on whim
This time the father tries to fight back
This now is when I choose to attack
It is so much easier when they act first
Their simple submission is the worst
So I fight him and tie him to a chair
To be honest, it almost doesn’t seem fair
Next, I make him watch it all
I revel in each outcry and call
First, taking everything from his wife
I slice off her face with a kitchen knife
Then, time comes for the little daughter
I laughed along as I fought her
I like every noise that she makes
Her slit wrists pool like little lakes
The last is for their young son
I have to savor every last bit of fun
After cutting out his tongue to stop the squeal
His danger of drowning in the blood is real
As I listen to them screaming
I simply cannot keep from beaming
But I know my time is at an end
I have been so lucky to attend
At last, I stab the man in the head
The finale to the show of the dead
I don’t always get along with the voices
Although, I do usually like their choices
Still, I have my few and slight regrets
The day will come when I will pay my debts
Seems I do have a conscience, after all of this
And I find myself, once again, lost in my abyss
For I am the one with the reluctant kill
And yet I will enjoy it, yes I will
I’ll do it again and again, I swear
I will continue to do all I can bear
Or think the way you do.
In the beginning chaos took over
Everything
Took over the dark and darkened it
Took over the diminishing light
And ate it like a sweet
Leaving an empty universe.
You can't enter there
Where monsters cavort
You wouldn't want to
For fear of losing what humanity
You possess.
It's all I know
All that can be understood
The only words
Able to warn you how understanding is impossible
And dangerous.
Let them go
Run fast
Don't turn to look
For a pillar of salt is not nearly enough
To save your soul.
They live
To take you with them
Out into the cold that never ends.
They live, these broken creatures,
With consuming chaos
With hate
With oblivion in the palms of their hands---
They live.
Billie Sue Mosiman
Billie Sue Mosiman
****************
Critiques by Anthony Servante:
In my work "Killers and Horror: Ink Black, Blood Red" (2013), I compare the thought processes associated with writers empathizing with killers to capture the verisimilitude of the act of murder to the thought processes as described by real killers who discuss what went through their mind before, during and after the real act of murder. For our writers today, they either portrayed a depraved manner of thinking that coincided with the gruesome act of murder and mutilation or a peripheral view of the killing in order to distance themselves and the readers from the overt act of death itself. In my book, I quote F. Paul Wilson who wrote such a horrific killing that he had to take breaks from the writing of the scene because it was an overwhelming experience to enter the "killing" frame of mind, but he captured the gruesome act indirectly, finding that too direct a description was not as effective as a subtle play on the readers' imagination, which the author found more haunting an experience.
Howard Carlyle also employs an indirect approach to the killings by John Wayne Gacy and Jeffrey Dahmer and an unnamed murderer. He describes his subjects just as an F.B.I. Profiler would, only in the voice of prose. He enters the mind of the murderers at a safe distance so that we can witness their mental state rather than their brutal acts. The simple act of Gacy applying his clown make-up is much more chilling than a gory description of mutilation, for it is a scary experience to enter the mind of a killer preparing to carry out his awful plan. Carlyle utilizes this technique to take the readers out of their comfort zone.
Coralie Rowe takes the same path to the readers' fragile psyche. We love mental roller coasters, and Rowe provides the thrills with portraits of Jack the Ripper, the Wolf Creek Killer, the Snowtown Killers, the Rose Red Haunted House, and other depictions of death merchants. One of my favorites was "Sweet Mistress Mary", a Grimm Brothers type of rhyme that paints "Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary" as a serial killer. It comes across as playful in a macabre Adamms Family variety where death is chic and clever. Ironically, this frame of mind is closer to the mind of real serial killers, as I detail in my book. And to make the reader titter at murder is quite a feat of writing for a confident talent like Rowe.
Anthony Crowley's "The Ripper" echoed the surgical killer in the graphic novel "From Hell" by Alan Moore. Please note the panel from the book above the title**. Crowley portrays his killer as a cold-blooded murderer like a man spending a day at the office, which is how Moore presents his interpretation of "Jack". The poem is direct in its horrific descriptions. This is in your face horror. No safe havens or indirect passages to hide. Crowley is as cold-blooded in his writing as his killer.
D.S. Scott dives into the horror feet first with his poems. His narratives are neither empathetic or passive. As such, we do not experience the horror of killing as we partake in an exaggerated view of death that we would find in the old EC or Warren Comics where one expected to find knifes in the eye and murderers who love to describe themselves as they kill. Each poem even has that O'Henry trick ending, though if you are as old and jaded as I, you'd see the horror foreshadowed in the titles ("Feast" for example was either a gory Texas Chainsaw Thanksgiving or a Donner Party Picnic). Still, for the sheer fun of the grotesque killers, there is no better poet than Scott to put a twisted smile on your face.
Billie Sue Mosiman is featured in my book on Killers and Horror because she writes a mean serial killer. She enters the mind of her murderess with ease. She does not balk as does F. Paul Wilson, so she delivers a sympathetic but vicious assassin. For her poem, "They Live", which I deliberately placed as the final poem, she summarizes the various "minds" of a killer. She captures the direct and indirect state of mind of the murderers. "They" can be the nice guy next door, the friendly grocer, or the jilted lover. The difference with Mosiman's killers is that "they" can cross the line from good citizen to cold-blooded killer at the merest slight. You look at them the wrong way, you complain about his giving you the wrong change at the grocery store, or if you can't have your lover, then nobody can. Very nice wrap-up for the column. Serial killers can be you and me. We are "they".
