The Avenger
Cold, unseen stranger,
stalked about,
touching,
with icy fingers.
Over his victims,
his feet trod slowly,
hardly fair game,
the people lining-up.
A man?Is a man worth-
It is weakness.
Whenever begins count,
subtract a chance of ten.
The above page is from a story called The Last Leaf, by O Henry. I couldn't get the exact page on the internet, so I took a picture of the page and circled the words. The book is titled, "100 Selected Stories" by O Henry.
The image is taken from Pixabay and edited.
The first two stanzas of this are chilling. Very fitting title. I was a bit lost at the wording of the last two lines.
ReplyDeleteIt is meant to tell about the killings. Whenever he begins to count the remaining, one loses a chance at life.
ReplyDeleteThose first two stanzas are perfect. Cold, horrifying, dark... They really captured a mood and they sounded like they just fit so easily together. The last stanza though was so abstract, I am not sure what it is saying. Perhaps there for me there are too many words in that last bit? Take with a grain of salt...I'm no poet :)
ReplyDeleteOh! I thought I did not add enough words in the last stanza. I see it know, it doesn't make the intent clear. I agree, it is a bit vague.
DeleteThank you for still liking it though. :)
I was also a little lost with the last stanza but oooooooh - what a great tone. Nice piece.
ReplyDeleteThank you.
DeleteI thought adding too many words might kind of spoil the poem, but I should have used another word or two to make it better.
Well, a lesson learnt. :)