The Taxidermist

His mother gave him buttons to use as substitutes for eyes
For she couldn’t afford the real ones, so he just had to get by
Accelerated learning meant he skipped two grades
But the bachelors and the masters degrees he claimed were faked
When he got chucked out of University for handling stolen goods
He dusted himself down, the stains hardly stuck for good
Petty thieving and robbery, con artistry and skulduggery
Aggravated assaults, child sexual abuse and thuggery
He became a trusted babysitter in the neighbourhood
Assaulted a nine year old girl and a trial ensued
But he pleaded guilty and got no more than probation
It takes a lot to send a man down in this kind of nation
Met a girl called Dixie, who kept him and paid his bills
But this wasn’t enough to keep him occupied or thrilled.
He couldn’t hold down a job but took a paper route
To cover up his early morning visits to prostitutes.
But one day in 1991, he shot a prostitute dead
Removed the eyeballs clean out of the sockets in her head
It’s amazing what you can teach a child, encouraging them to be what they can be
A second and a third victim, he was finally practising taxidermy
Finally fulfilling his lifelong dream
A childhood fantasy
He got sent to prison, with eight sentences of life
I bet he didn’t see that coming, even with three extra pairs of eyes.