The red, yellow, brown crisp leaves.
Fall upon my kill, carried by a gentle breeze.
Blood drips down and soaks the soil.
Life springs forth from my murderous toil.
Crows, maggots; all manner of life.
Feed from his corpse, give meaning to his strife.
Fungus grows as he becomes one with the earth.
His death has purpose, his death has worth.
Look upon my work, and all the life it supports.
Life that the coming winter, desires to cut short.
My work must endure, so they may continue to thrive.
Through these deaths, thousands will survive.
– R. K. Lightfoot
Fall of the leaf is a poem about a serial killer that justifies his murders through the twisted view that by allowing nature to feed upon the corpses he leaves, he is saving more life than he takes. It is autumn time in the poem, and the killer believes that he must continue his work if the wildlife is to survive the approaching winter. The poem and its autumnal setting was inspired by the time of year we are currently in, with this poem being the first of several poems I plan to upload this Halloween season.
© 2022
Photo via Pixabay CC0
R.K. Lightfoot 