Death row
Is that spiritual place
Where all men go
After losing
What God Himself
Has provided
In their privileged fate
Called love –

Our undeserved grace
Become flesh
Through partnership
Sullied by failure
After waiting years
For her presence
To redeem what soul
We have left,

Finding jail at home
With each thought
Like every belief
Being broken
And feeling condemned
Among memories
Vacant as hearts
Missing faith

She provided once
Knowing grief
Soon enduring days
Always hurting
Watching joyous times
Sully quickly
Over moments spent
Fighting back

Against selfishness
Making things cold
Growing farther apart
Despite staying
Getting angry
Since lacking connection
Needing empathy
Rather than sins.

How distance
Eliminates warmth
While drifting flames
Barely burning
Find lasting sparks
Provide lessons
When imprisoned
Behind crying eyes,

Arguing greed
Was the cause
But agreeing fear
Pulls its trigger
Learning panicked minds
Cannot reason
Upon answered prayers
Going wrong –

From those gallows
Nooses will hang
Stringing ropes which sit
Merely waiting
Near these ended dreams
Gone forever
Punishing souls
Still alive.

• J. Pigno