Coward

Behind the curtains shadows danced
a fight of fists, perchance a lance.
Then splattered blood I stood in trance.

I never heard the scream, I smelled
her blood, I saw my neighbor felled;
That night began, my life with hell
of lying, hiding, never take a stance.

I lived in silence, hid from him,
the husband by the name of Jim,
I watched him digging, it was grim
to watch him living, how he pranced

around and lying, how his wife
had left alone to live her life,
I knew his secrets but his knife
was sharp; I knew but only glanced.

as Jim went on to marry Anne,
I waited, watched I couldn’t man
myself to tell about his evil plans.
I cannot dare to take a chance.

Today Grace Hosts at dVerse on a form called Zéjel. I hope I got it right with the rhyme scheme and syllable count. I think I added meter also since it felt natural to write it so.

It is all fiction. My neighbors are good people, and I don’t believe there are any graves in their garden.

September, 23 2021

18 responses to “Coward”

‘I knew his secrets but his knife
was sharp; I knew but only glanced.’

– A sickeningly cowardly character you have conjured up here, Björn. I like how you’ve used what is quite a jaunty form to tell a sinister tale.

I also liked that jaunty tone to tell the sinister story. I was sort of imagining Hitchcock’s “Rear Window.” I wonder if Anne will be safe.

Cowards tend to survive, unfortunately–look at gobspit Trump. Your Zejel is true to form, and you were brave to write several stanza. I stopped at four.

What a grim story but I so love the creative spin on the neighbor’s lives. What a life of lies can lead to.

a sinister plot unfolds well with this rhyme scheme!

Bjorn,
I don’t know how you did it but as I read I could feel the narrative flowing as if of itself, smoothly, seamlessly. Ah but the coward! What a story!
pax,
dora