{"id":2819,"date":"2018-07-04T19:17:10","date_gmt":"2018-07-04T23:17:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lizzieandrewborden.com\/HatchetOnline\/?p=2819"},"modified":"2018-07-04T19:17:10","modified_gmt":"2018-07-04T23:17:10","slug":"sphinx-of-parricide-a-poem-in-haiku-triplets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lizzieandrewborden.com\/hatchetonline\/sphinx-of-parricide-a-poem-in-haiku-triplets\/","title":{"rendered":"SPHINX OF PARRICIDE (A Poem in Haiku Triplets)"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Eugene Hosey<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

First published in February\/March, 2004, Volume 1, Issue 1, The Hatchet: Journal of Lizzie Borden Studies<\/em>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Fall River of blood.<\/span>
\nSecond Street fever runs high.<\/span>
\nUnspeakably sick.<\/span><\/p>\n

Borden prison home.<\/span>
\nMenacing beast on a leash.<\/span>
\nSomeone cuts it loose.<\/span><\/p>\n

Left-over mutton.<\/span>
\nServed on autopsy table.<\/span>
\nSome ironing too.<\/span><\/p>\n

Maid goes out as told.<\/span>
\nBoss lady makes fateful climb.<\/span>
\nTomb waits in spare room.<\/span><\/p>\n

Doorway frames killer.<\/span>
\nDresser mirror eyes see you.<\/span>
\nGlass lips stay sealed.<\/span><\/p>\n

Shock blow pulls the plug.<\/span><\/p>\n

Death bed of bloody roses.<\/span>
\nQuiet menace waits.<\/span>
\nI call you mother.<\/span><\/p>\n

I call you Mrs. Borden.<\/span>
\nI call you nothing.<\/span>
\nKitchen stove burning.<\/span><\/p>\n

Pears magazines Journal flats.<\/span>
\nWhat am I thinking?<\/span>
\nLady toothache late.<\/span><\/p>\n

Pass close enough to touch him.<\/span>
\nOld man good as dead.<\/span>
\nWindow-washing hands.<\/span><\/p>\n

Unlock door for next victim.<\/span>
\nOdd laugh rings upstairs.<\/span>
\nLay me down to sleep.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2018Neath pretty New England scene.<\/span>
\nDream and rise no more.<\/span>
\nMaggie disappears.<\/span><\/p>\n

Prince Albert lifts bloody axe.<\/span>
\nSleeping papa groans.<\/span>
\nPapa\u2019s face is gone.<\/span><\/p>\n

I fear it I do not feel.<\/span>
\nGrim makeshift pillow.<\/span>
\nGet Maggie downstairs.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ask nothing do as I say.<\/span>
\nMy head is dizzy.<\/span><\/p>\n

Bring yesterday\u2019s ears.<\/span>
\nBorden fears and forebodings.<\/span>
\nNeed witnesses here.<\/span><\/p>\n

Lizzie guards the dead.<\/span>
\nShe peeps outside through door screen.<\/span>
\nNosy neighbor sees.<\/span><\/p>\n

Find Mrs. Borden.<\/span>
\nShe must be deaf in the house.<\/span>
\nShe had a sick note.<\/span><\/p>\n

Stepmother clammy.<\/span>
\nFather warm bloody oozing.<\/span>
\nBoth skulls in pieces.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ruined couch and bed.<\/span>
\nDripping arm and spotted spread.<\/span>
\nRest sleep sorrow-worn.<\/span><\/p>\n

Uncle eats a pear.<\/span>
\nBloodshot eyes search Lizzie\u2019s gaze.<\/span>
\nWhat should daughter say?<\/span><\/p>\n

Dark night of the soul.<\/span>
\nDead flesh on dining table.<\/span>
\nShaky lamp passes.<\/span><\/p>\n

Late cellar visit.<\/span>
\nBloody clothes on dirty floor.<\/span>
\nHer hand in the dark.<\/span><\/p>\n

Guard outside at night.<\/span>
\nA second lamp light sneaks down.<\/span>
\nLizzie kneels at sink.<\/span><\/p>\n

Bedford cord stove fire.<\/span>
\nUgly weapon under bed.<\/span>
\nAlice wringing hands.<\/span><\/p>\n

Bengaline silk skirt.<\/span>
\nDiamond pattern missing.<\/span>
\nDon\u2019t look at Lizzie.<\/span><\/p>\n

How could this happen?<\/span>
\nWho was the phantom serpent?<\/span>
\nGod only knows why.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sphinx of parricide.<\/span>
\nWe all know you lied.<\/span>
\nSwollen courtroom eyes.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A poem about the Borden case in Haiku Triplets.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":2820,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2819","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-poetry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lizzieandrewborden.com\/hatchetonline\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2819","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lizzieandrewborden.com\/hatchetonline\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lizzieandrewborden.com\/hatchetonline\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lizzieandrewborden.com\/hatchetonline\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/16"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lizzieandrewborden.com\/hatchetonline\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2819"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lizzieandrewborden.com\/hatchetonline\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2819\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lizzieandrewborden.com\/hatchetonline\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2819"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lizzieandrewborden.com\/hatchetonline\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2819"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lizzieandrewborden.com\/hatchetonline\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2819"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}