The Sniper Smiled

The Sniper Smiled

With the stars bright overhead

twinkling as pin-pricks of cold fire

in the chill of the desert night

the mud brick town

sat heavy

in the silver moonlight

and high upon a flat roof top

a soldier

lay with sniper's rifle cocked

peering

into the ink shadows

splashed across the moonlit streets

Nothing moved

but the town held its breath

until a dog barked into the stillness

like a sudden cannon shot

then barked yet again like a rippling

flurry of rifle shots

to suddenly

fall still

and the darkness

pressed down

in a silence louder

than any dog

The soldier eased the rifle up

to glue his eye

to the sniper's telescope

and with finger slowly squeezing

the first pressure of the trigger

there in the cross hairs

of the scope

a shadow moved and just

one squeeze more sent death

belching in a leaping

tongue of flame

licking the dark

The rifle shot

cleaved

the silence and resounded

in the night

even as the body slumped

into the silver light

on the street to lie

in a puff of desert dust

and all was once more

so still

that the night

dared not move

The sniper smiled at being God

to let live or snuff

with yet one more kill

but his hair stood on end

and his skin crawled

for there was a presence

watching him from behind

and he turned his head

to see her standing still

all veiled in black

measuring him with cold

starlight fire in her eyes

She held no

gun or knife

her regal face

was calm and silver

in the moonlight

but she filled the sniper

with mortal dread

as her smile

serene

clutched his heart

and slowly

squeezed

For he was a man

with a smoking gun

and ice in his soul

while she of the silver smile

was Azrael

the Angel of Death

come to claim her own

yet though the sniper died

there was not

even a pin-drop sound

in the silence crashing down

until the dog howled in fear