The Great Executioner, by Tiffany Babb

The Great Executioner, by Prince Rupert of the Rhine (Germany). 1658.

The Great Executioner
 
His gleaming hand
grips, by the hair,
a head. Its eyes closed
in divine rest.
 
He looks past it,
clutching his sword,
its sharpened blade cloaked
in shadow.
 
An executioner
has his task
and little else.
 
Secured by coiled rope,
his clothing
is roughly pieced together.
 
On his head, a cap
of twisted white fabric.
 
The job may be done,
but the work remains
incomplete.
 
There is a body to dispose of,
bloodied scraps of clothing to sell,
a sword and hands to clean.

​Tiffany Babb

This poem is from the author's chapbook, Moon Garden at the Met.

Tiffany Babb is a New York based poet. She is interested in the varied relationships between image and text. You can find more of her work atwww.tiffanybabb.com