The drop slides across the upturn mouth
feelings churning produce emotions surfacing
as facades fade exposing only steam of an embittered body.

Sad that no one would believe the truth
only a minority had faith
the others followed
for they didn’t want the same fate
ostracized from the masses

The game had to be played everyone has a role
even the unwittingly were caught in the net

Seeing spear after spear thrown til blood appears
repeatedly puncturing the corpse
vapors of life dissipated
the game had to be played

It’s moral, it’s just
pulling nets and expelling daggers of death
keep going there must be more
something more, more
greed of victory was all they really wanted

The seas decimated nothing left to catch
let’s see the reward

Net after net unraveled
Where’s the bounty?
dispersed daggers of sweat were clean of the flesh
Where’s the bounty?

Push, pull there must be something
nope, nothing

only their reflection shining
in the stolen drops of water
running from an assumed home.

Game over.

-Jennie Nawrocki