6th Stanza - Ben LaMar Gay

Squatting before the river with one hand submerged

The warden feels the rush of the current

Along with the arrogance and the nerve of the fugitive

Confirming his initial sentiment of their connection

The warden knows that if he allows the cocoon to release the 1000 butterflies

That it would be a victory for our fugitive

This is one celebration that he’s hate to observe from the opposing sidelines

The confetti, the cheers, the speeches filled with empty promises for the future

At the award presentation

The warden believes this is the same celebration

That the devil held as a mockery of the destruction of his family

He believes that somehow a dark force cajoled him

To accepting the position at the state penitentiary

Thus distancing himself from his young family

The devil needed a way out of hell

And he used the warden

A swap of souls

The devil is wandering free about the land

While the warden is stuck as the new overseer of hell

The warden too desired to escape prison like our fugitive

Just for a chance to explain himself to his beloved family

But the devil’s curse of pride would never allow his heavy tongue to speak in

that manner

The warden can attest to how 500 chains feels on the neck of a man

The burden makes a man sink twelve feet deep with every step

He needs to get our fugitive back in custody

If only to justify his own existence

He can smell the blood of the fugitive

He dries his hand

And continues south

Rapidly