Retirement

When the guillotine was first invented
it served a purpose I suppose
until the crowd became too addicted
to the Executioner’s absence
then anyone was eligible to bow before a hungry audience

It had the appeal all great inventions have
of provision,
immediate and satisfactory,
Just say the word and the deed is done.

No middle aged man looking out the back window at the axe in the stump
near a stack of firewood,
swelling with remorse over a secret occupation he could never speak of
to the kids.
“It’s just a job” he would say to the wife
“I’ll stop at the market on the way home.”

Only now with all this time on his hands
is he able to finally count the heads.
Especially the ones who turned slightly to the side
looked up at him from the corner of their eye
and asked for a second chance.