In 1968, she poisoned her father,
1970, her mother-in-law
and 1971, her husband. 1986 was
her boss-turned-lover-turned-boyfriend
and by 1989, her attention was
focused on her second husband.
Exhumation became so common
that the local cemeteries were
renamed as her landfills.

She sits across from me–shoulders
squared and gaze relaxed–waiting
for any question I might come up with.
     What ran across your mind the very first time?
Her breath flees from her lips
and she says to me
     freedom.

I look her in the eyes–
     see a monster.
She looks me in the eyes–
     sees herself.