Smiling Red Knife

I grew up and moved away

Couldn't say what I wanted to say

To him

We were only seventeen

Oh, what our lives could have been

Today

They talk of us as though it was

Just a fact of nature 'cos

Of him

Long forgotten years ago

He saw blood and he wanted more

And more

Put a knife through a girl he knew

She was only twenty two

And he smiled

He left his mark on the town

One by one, he took them down

And he smiled

And all along he was not alone

I should have left him on his own

But I stayed

And all along through this mess

I should have run, I must confess

But I stayed

Every night he'd go away

Come back with a red shiny blade

He'd laugh

Never realised what he'd become

A monster was what he'd become

I didn't know

Then once I caught the glint in his eyes

Looked at me, he held his knife

He smiled

Now the boy had gone too far

Lunged at me, gave me a scar

And I ran