The Accomplices

[Fearful Symmetry]

The Accomplices

Consider for now the groundskeeper’s plight:
his cottage nearby, the heiress was killed.
Suspicion is his, it seems only right
with blood on his spade. But, perfectly chilled,

a knife in the icebox carries the prints
of the heiress’s son — who, miles away,
is covered in blood, unable to rinse
claret from his hands. Police records say

fourteen clefts in all occurred, left to right,
clot dripping down, as blood’s want to do.
Finding the stairs, it slavered all night
and pooled near the bottom; here, beside you.

Though none will suspect two ghouls filled the hearse —
that we, guilty reader, haunted this verse. 

v1.3

Consider for now the groundskeeper’s plight:
his cottage nearby, the heiress was killed.
Suspicion was his, it seemed only right
with blood on his spade. But, perfectly chilled,

a knife in the icebox carried the prints
of the heiress’s son — who, miles away,
was covered in blood, unable to rinse
claret from his hands. Police records say

fourteen clefts in all occurred, left to right,
clot dripping down, as blood’s want to do.
Finding the stairs, it slavered all night
and pooled near the bottom; here, beside you,

with none to suspect two ghouls filled the hearse —
that we, guilty reader, haunted this verse. 

v1.2

The Accomplices

Consider, for now, the groundskeeper’s plight:
his cottage nearby, the heiress was killed.
Suspicion was his, it seemed only right
with blood on his spade. But, perfectly chilled,

a knife in the icebox carried the prints
of the heiress’s son — who, miles away,
was covered in blood, unable to rinse
claret from his hands. Police records say

fourteen clefts in all occurred, left to right,
clot dripping down, as blood’s want to do.
Finding the stairs, it slavered all night
and pooled near the bottom; here, beside you —

with none to suspect that ghouls filled the hearse
when we, guilty reader, haunted this verse. 

v1.1

The Depraved Heart

Consider, for now, the groundskeeper’s plight:
his cottage nearby, the heiress was killed.
Suspicion was his, it seemed only right
with blood on his spade. But, perfectly chilled,

a knife in the icebox carried the prints
of the heiress’s son — who, miles away,
was covered in blood, unable to rinse
claret from his hands. Police records say

fourteen clefts in all occurred, left to right,
clot dripping down, as blood’s want to do.
Finding the stairs, it slavered all night
and pooled near the bottom; here, beside you —

with none to suspect a shade filled the hearse
when sinuous eyes bedeviled this verse.

v1.0

The Depraved Heart

Consider, for now, the groundskeeper’s plight,
His cottage nearby, the heiress was killed.
Suspicion was his, it seemed only right
With blood on his spade. But, perfectly chilled,

A knife in the icebox carried the prints
Of the heiress’s son — who, miles away,
Was covered in blood, unable to rinse
Claret from his hands. Police records say

Fourteen clefts in all occurred, left to right,
Clot dripping down, as blood’s want to do.
Finding the stairs, it slavered all night
And pooled near the bottom; here, beside you —

With none to suspect a shade filled the hearse
When sinuous eyes were haunting this verse.