The Final Moments of Mata Hari

As they pointed all their 
weapons at her
dressed in their
great winter coats one day
Her thoughts turned 
to all of her boys
back in those
Parisian nights so gay

As they  pulled back 
their bolts
ready for action
She was still  trying
to look her best
flicking a creepie crawlie
from their target
her traitorous chest

As they waited to discharge
their shot
She looked for a moment
Quiet scared
then wrinkled her nose
in defiance
while into their eyes
she just stared

When she felt the ammo
enter her
which each shuddering
little death
She gave a nervous
kind of a  giggle
and one final  victorious
last breath.

A Preparation 

‘May I Lord?’ she asked  .
Before pouring
Amber  Myrrh oil
Across his salt and sand 
Tanned  feet
‘Such waste’ one amongst
them  muttered.
‘The cicadas know more than you.’
She said,  unbraiding  her hair.

BERNARD PEARSON: His work  appears in many publications, including: Aesthetica Magazine , The Edinburgh Review, Crossways, The Gentian, Nymphs The Poetry Village, Beneath The Fever, The Beach Hut Little stone. In 2017 a selection of his poetry ‘In Free Fall’ was published by Leaf by Leaf  Press. In 2019  he won second prize in The Aurora Prize for Writing for his poem Manor Farm. He is also a Biographer, novelist, and Prize winning short story writer.