Death March Poem by Lila Marquez

walking down
the aisle
i whimper
condolences to kins
whose bodies
deep in bloodbath
cast me empty
gazes
i pressed
coded ear and
ringed nose on
rancid air to
try to
sniff out
final wistful
words ambient
about today
it seemed
i was bestowed
crimeless verdict
the guillotine
weighed flat
on my shoulders
on my back
on my sirloin
on my chuck
on my thick rib
on my shin
on my fore rib
on my clod
on my brisket
on my rumb
on and on
i tread
on foot
rattling metal
while fatal
macabre faces
welcome
sober paces
ushered into
the chamber
as i watch
hope depart
the assembly line
that freezes
like muted knife
in carnage
enticing what's left
of sanity
of empathy
of humanity
until what's left
of me
is where the line
finishes


(from 'Line Breaker: A Collection of Poems', Lila Marquez,2021)