Greed

The thief is moving silently; it’s dark.
Unseen, he’s slowly creeping in the nightly shade.
The guard dogs in the distance will not bark:
Their hearts were stabbed and cut out by a poisoned blade.

By cutting out their hearts he made it clear –
Assassination would come next if he were stalked.
The heartless dogs – a message, bringing fear
To those who’d cower, while the thief the city walked.

A guard is sitting on his chair – asleep?
His throat is cut, red streaks of blood pour down his chest.
The thief walks in a room and starts to creep.
Another guard, who’s yet another worthless pest…

And here it is – the treasure that he sought,
A wooden chest, that’s filled with jewelry and gold.
Too much to fit the leather bag he brought…
Such luck; the god of fortune favors just the bold.

He fills his bag and starts to walk away.
He feels so rich, his head bends down under a crown.
He sees a shadow; who he did not slay?
In the dim light he sees the mistress in her gown.

The mistress screamed for help – he was too late;
The guards he did not kill awoke from sleepful booze.
He turned to run in hope to reach the gate;
The crown slid down to his neck, became a noose.

The guards caught up with him… and now he’s dead.
Soon he will with his body hungry vultures feed.
And one last thought came to him while he bled:
The guards were not his killer – he was killed by greed…