In and Out
He didn’t mean to kill
the man,
it was self-defence,
he said –
he came home
to the burglary
in the dark.
I only meant to
get his attention,
he gasped,
to scare him away.
Pardon me,
your honour…
The man shuddered
with anguish
and grief:
Pardon me,
your honour,
I deeply regret
what I have done.
As the man
gathered up his
papers and
satchel,
he
was as repentant
as a pardoned man
should be.
Closing the door
behind him,
in his welcome
home,
his partner asks:
How are you
always
getting away with murder?
(c) R. L. Elke 2016
This is utterly chilling! The short phrases and icy cool sentences are perfect for this poem. Your turn of phrase is absolutely beautiful and creates sudden bursts of imagery and characterisation: the killer, ‘as repentant as a pardoned man should be’ who closes the door behind him in ‘his welcome home.’ Great control of your phrasing and your pace in this very creepy tale!