Perfect Timing

I stand

Like a beast on display

Before a thousand souls

Hungry to see mine

Flee from my body

In twisted strangled agony

I stand

and play the part

of the defeated fiend

A man who has lost

A creature facing it's end

My life on the edge

Before I hang till dead

But inside I smirk

Because when mortality

finds itself in a corner

It strikes out with desperation

So as my neck goes in the noose

As the crowd cheers and cries

I show no hint of surprise

as the hail of arrows begins.

Down goes the hangman

My gentleman accuser

A couple innocent women and children

And all illusions

of my defeated nature.

I walk

down the winding path

out of the courtyard

accompanied by my brothers

Dressed in black cloaks

Bows in hands

No hint of fear

We walk free.

But just before the gates

A fool gets an idea

A fool figures he can stand

For all the ideals shot dead today

A dagger is no match

for a few good men

with perfect timing.

The hangman's noose has no power

The audience has no applause

The gentleman's ilk has no life

The criminal crowd has no quarrel.