Fireflies reflect on the river
pinpoints of light, phosphorescent stars.
A waning sliver of moon shines
like silver nitrate in the sky.

The cold gunmetal grip
of a feverish pale girl
Sticky heat beads sweat
down the furrow of her brow.

I heard this is how it gone down.

She marched him downriver,
Like Cleopatra on the Nile.
she bade him wade in deep.
The bulrushes cut his knees
the bullfrogs croaked a dirge
and he fought the urge to plead

Indifferent nature, the cold fury
of a girl done wrong. The warm
molasses night spread out infinite
and time stopped, spiraled down
to tick the click of a revolver as
the only metronome.

Six shots shattered
the body that battered her heart
six shots because less
just wouldn't do, wouldn't do.

one for each finger in his everready fist -

then a pause, a tiny breath -

the sixth shot, an afterthought
an epilogue, a eulogy to
the baby they'd buried
in a shallow winter grave.

I heard this is how it went on down.

Smoke rose from the barrel
Clouds covered the moon
His face froze like that- just so
lips forming a perfect O eyes wider than
the river. The water caught
his weight with a welcoming
splash, washed clean his wounds
spread the blood like an oil slick

Fireflies reflected on the water
and she smiled
and smiled
and smiled...

She let his body down like he let her down.
The cattail reeds their last marriage bed.
Silvery light shown through the clouds -

Lord, I heard this is is how it gone done....

Her teeth cut the sharp edge of the night
Not a second does she drop the smile, thinking
how John got himself a second baptism now,
a holy watery communion
forever and ever till death did they part

amen

Fireflies on the water
phosphorescent stars
silver sliver of moon
six shots, five being too few

I heard that's how it went down
No don't you lose that smile, sugar
Sister don't you fear what I might do
See, you just got there first, that's all.

I would've killed that bastard too.