” Let’s do it! “
(Gary Gilmore’s last words).
In a little while, those bullets
Will have passed through me.
I will be stopped soon,
With my parched body,
Abandoned at my own feet,
as the sand sprinkled
Among a few collectible pyramids.
In a little while, I will not be.
Soon, this line,
stitched between the now
And something I don’t see,
Will be just a spark,
An accent in the starless night.
It will be a memory,
arid,
frozen in the marrow,
perched in those trees
That the snakes wanted to be dying;
uselessly stretched toward a point
That never,
never,
never,
Will be infinite.
Her collection of pyramids.
Her world.
Her being.
Everything.
Night.
Stars.
…
And I wait,
tied to a pole,
that three bullets
tell me
Where to bend my head…
…If toward the clouds that conceal the blue
Or down among the worms,
In the paradise of the normal,
Where bliss is voluptuousness
And voluptuousness is pure essence.
…
In the arms
Of a purple dying of shadows,
I fall asleep.
…
There is no night
Where my eyes have watched.
There is no night,
By now.
…
You sleep.
And so
you are mine.
Eternally
and immensely
mine.
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A brief note on Gary Gilmore
Gary Gilmore was a notorious criminal whose life ended tragically with his execution. Born in 1940, Gilmore’s life was marked by a series of crimes, including armed robberies and multiple murders. In 1976, he gained national attention when he asked to be executed for his crimes, famously saying, “Just do it.” Despite pleas for clemency, Gilmore’s wish was granted, and he was shot in Utah in 1977.
His story has fascinated the nation, sparking debates about the death penalty and the ethics of state-sanctioned executions. The Gilmore case brought the death penalty back to the forefront after a decade of hibernation in the United States. His final moments were a sad reminder of the complexities and moral dilemmas surrounding capital punishment.
Gary Gilmore’s life and death remain a poignant reminder of the consequences of a life diverted by crime and violence, leaving a lasting impact on the American justice system and society as a whole.
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