She was the most beautiful woman in the village,
as well as the kindest, most gentle soul.
So it was of great concern when she gave
birth to four of the most
cruel and cowardly sons.

Sons who would grow into men
who would never cast shadows
because the sun refused to see them
and the earth could not
tolerate their scent, the odor of decay.

The sons quickly learned
if they ignored their mother’s tears
they would be rewarded with silver coins.
But the coins were wortless.

Despite their greed,
their mother cared for them,
prayed they would be forgiven.
God could not forgive them.

The angels asked God
to send the children to Hell,
where they could be with their father.
Their mother sighed, understanding
they were never her children
and the Devil would not have them.

 

Janet Cormier is a painter, writes prose and poetry, and performs comedy. JC prefers different and original over pretty. She loves collecting stuff, but cleaning not so much. Janet also talks to strangers. A lot. Her column appears weekly on Oddball Magazine.