word carvers

i

some get away
with murder and
in-your-face lies
with bewildering
machiavellian charm

ii

deflecting words
beaming righteous indignation
flame bloated egos ---
legends in peanut shells
enveloped in glaring darkness
know all- value nothing
march into oblivion
on their own beat

iii

others drink 
from poison bowls
offer unbowed heads
at the altar
and are enshrined
in historical realms