Without Tears

i.

They shamble along an old footpath,
streaming out of the village,
lethargically, solemnly;
alone, or in pairs, hands clasped,
marching as directed —

and though their killers
wear black masks,
it is clear they work
without tears.

ii.

They shamble down narrow trails
cleared of mines and weeds,
anxiously, frenziedly;
alone, or with crews, cameras rolling,
filming as directed —

and though the biographers
condemn the atrocities,
it is clear they work
without tears.

Lee Clark Zumpe, an entertainment columnist with Tampa Bay Newspapers, earned his bachelor’s in English at the University of South Florida. He began writing poetry and fiction in the early 1990s. His work has regularly appeared in a variety of literary journals and genre magazines over the last two decades. Publication credits include Tiferet, Zillah, The Ugly Tree, Modern Drunkard Magazine, Red Owl, Jones Av., Main Street Rag, Space & Time, Mythic Delirium, and Weird Tales.