Then Kill

If you have to kill

To eat, say

Or repel those who might kill you

Then kill with speed

Patience will not fill your stomach

Nor still your enemy’s

Well-manicured hand

If you want to kill

To eat well, perhaps

Or to build an empire of designer goods

Then kill with care

Blood stains skins and organs may spill

When split

Think of the bottom line, after all

But if you kill to be cruel

To excruciate and torment

Or destroy the world of

Oh, I don’t know

An adulterous fashion designer

Then kill with patience

First you must befriend

Render yourself invaluable

Become entrusted

So that you may hold them as if a pet

A purring cat in your lap

Before you snap its neck

In that expensive scarf