by Eddie Aderne

“French serial-killer expert admits serial lies, including murder of imaginary wife …
[Stéphane] Bourgoin told Le Figaro that he felt he needed psychological counselling, and that ‘all
these lies are absolutely ridiculous, because if we objectively take stock of my work, I think it was
enough in itself’. He said he had exaggerated and lied about his life because he had always
felt he was not really loved.”
—The Guardian

Of all my lies about my life,
The worst’s the murder of my wife:
Although herself imaginary,
She must have found this rather scary.
‘Twas bad in fact for both of us,
And also quite ridiculous:
Objectively reviewed, my work
Had left no need to play the jerk.
It’s psychological, I think,
And calls for counsel from a shrink;
Had I felt loved, I’d not have done
Fake injuries to anyone.