Exhaustion strikes
With the fury of a swordsman
Overwhelming its target
In a rush of blows:
Too swift, subtle, and skilled
To be anticipated or evaded
Despite warning signs
Or the pangs of logic.
By the time suspicion arises,
The strike has already
Been executed:
The candle is split,
The trousers have fallen –
The blade rushes so rapidly
That even the speeding blood
Is too slow to sully
That sliver of silver.
And the resulting darkness
Is faster still.