Ode to True Crime

"[I]t occurred to me that I haven't met or talked with anyone who seemed genuinely, personally, angry that [O. J.] Simpson (or anyone else) might have committed those sad murders. Instead, people seem more intrigued and fascinated. The word grateful comes to mind." - Roger Ebert  

In all the great depravities of man,  
from houses deserted by life  
and stuffed with bodies,  
to steaming retching killing sprees  
full of juicy details like a bulging carton,  
what kernel of truth do we find?  
 
None, perhaps, but what do we need?  
The mystery and strangeness is fascinating,  
so outside our moral world,  
with its built-in code and safety barriers,  
where we have signed the social contract,  
invisible as it might be.  
 
The shadows dance in Hell  
and we observe, beyond a screen  
separating us from them,  
so while their movements might depress,  
or titillate, or offer a tingling fear,  
we may kid ourselves to safety.