A Taste for Innocence

Stomping the grounds of this old town,

Scouring this land for sustenance.

Something to keep me moving.

Except I haven’t seen a living thing

Since last Sunday. 

Ah the Jefferson boy.

So sweet

So sumptuous

Just the right amount of umami flavor 

On the tip of my rotting tongue

And the juiciest cerebellum 

I can remember tasting since

The McDonalds massacre of ‘22--"

2am, drive-thru, a young family of 5.

My senses suddenly lock in on something

A quick sniff of the air alerts me to movement, to life.

Warm blood pumping through its veins

Something warm

Something hopeful

Something…human

Blinded by hunger and sheer excitement,

The hunt begins.

What’s remaining of my legs,

Propels me closer to my next bite.

Regret isn’t in my repertoire.

I need brains to survive another day.

So that I can devour more brains later.

And so on and so forth.

This is my life now. (HA! “Life”. Right.)

Grunts rumble from my throat with every lurch forward

Closer now, barely able to contain the glee.

I see the little girl now, so sweet, so innocent.

Playing with her dollies on the steps of a bunker

Why is she outside at a time like this?

Where are her humans?

Nevermind that. 

I’ve got to feed, this isn’t going to take long.

A new face, she’s ready for the taking.

A full head of fresh, delectable brains.

Her screams? 

They make such a lush garnish.

A pinch of salt, a nutty glimmer of fear.

Perfection.

Author's Note

Please consider my poem, "A Taste for Innocence," totaling approximately 250 words. This is an original, unpublished work and has not previously been published.