she dumped his body in a shallow grave, next to the tree where he first proposed, a bunch of sticks to mark his place, down where the lilies grow

it was her fault that he wound up dead, with some help from her hatchet, perhaps she didn’t mean to strike him down, but his back was there to catch it

she dragged his corpse out the back gate, and loaded him in the wagon, his blood leaked out across the floor, a crimson trail from the dragging

she’d tell the kids he ran away, with that whore that worked the night shift, to start a new family far from here, but she’d also have to make her vanish

so she waited in the alleyway, her trusty hatchet resting by her side, and when the whore got out from her job, she caught that hatchet in her hide

and down to the valley once again, to plant another victim, she dug her into that shallow grave, and dumped her body down beside him

she scrubbed the blood and weaved her lies, and sobbed to all that listened, but wasn’t more than a week later, a fresh trail of blood did glisten

this time the neighbor felt her anger, when his dog did bark all night through, and another trip she did take, and another night she digged through

on and on her killing ways went, the butcher priest and her brother, that hatchet whistled through the air, and killed one after another

soon she had to draw a map, to keep from digging in the same place again, and the valley became overflowing, as the sharp blade sunk right in

then one day her children rushed in, with armfuls of beautiful lilies, each one topped with a reddish kiss, and a scent of sweetness and disease

now the town is famous for flowers, and missing persons as well, and she runs a little flower shop, people come from far and wide for blooms she has on sale

and still at night she makes her rounds, her hatchet sharp and ready, and if any cross her path, she drags them down where the pollen is heavy

every mound contains a body, and the flowers thrive upon the bones there, all except her husband’s though, she likes to keep that one bare

he never cared for anything, least of all his kids and wife, and now that her hobby has turned to fame, she likes to keep him from her new life