The Death Sentence | Teen Ink

The Death Sentence

June 2, 2009
By Chris Shu BRONZE, Fort Lee, New Jersey
Chris Shu BRONZE, Fort Lee, New Jersey
1 article 0 photos 0 comments

The pale light
is flickering.
He is sitting
on a mattress.

I can see the
blacks of
his eyes,
the whites—
his neon
jumpsuit.

He is bogeyman.

He's given
one last meal,
like Jesus,
but I'm wondering
why does he
deserve it?

Man of God,
is praying—
something he's
done too many
times before.
Is there really
salvation for
him?

Soon I lead
him down the
Valley of
Shadows.

I see my
guilty hands
and know
the feeling
won’t fade.

The room
is bare, save a
cot, an
intrinsic
machine,
death.

The witnesses
look on,
enjoying
the show, but
suffering
the pain
of being.

I can see the
blacks of
his eyes,
the whites.

Now the elixir
is flowing. He
is still but why
am I even stiller?

I wonder if
I can ever be
God of Man.

The coroner
comes in and
scribbles on
a pad—the word
homicide.


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This article has 6 comments.


on Dec. 26 2023 at 5:07 pm
ILiveToRead PLATINUM, Wailuku, Hawaii
24 articles 3 photos 150 comments
Heavy and sharp.

magic_ida GOLD said...
on Feb. 12 2023 at 9:32 pm
magic_ida GOLD, Dallas, Texas
11 articles 0 photos 7 comments
this is so deep and moving

on Jul. 26 2021 at 12:28 pm
Crazywolfiegirl2 PLATINUM, Kington, Other
26 articles 3 photos 284 comments

Favorite Quote:
There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature—the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after winter. —Rachel Carson

Wow, this is amazing

on Sep. 4 2019 at 2:25 am
PoetFromAnotherPlanet GOLD, San Jose, California
15 articles 0 photos 10 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Poetry is not a turning loose of emotion, but an escape from emotion; it is not the expression of personality, but an escape from personality. But, of course, only those who have personality and emotions know what it means to want to escape from these things." -T.S. Eliot

This is truly excellent!

j-jar GOLD said...
on Apr. 26 2019 at 2:48 pm
j-jar GOLD, Bridgewater, Virginia
10 articles 0 photos 1 comment
wonderful

on Sep. 6 2009 at 3:04 pm
LuckieMistake PLATINUM, Florence, Colorado
22 articles 1 photo 16 comments

Favorite Quote:
"What doesn't kill me only, will make me stronger in my head..." Papa Roach, Kick In The Teeth

whoa very deep yet awesome loved it