Axe man do your duty well,

Though I’m afraid no one must tell,

Nor history say I wavered at the block,

Pray God your strike is quick and clean,

And that my trembling goes unseen,

Lest held to ridicule by those who watch,

Her Majesty does not attend,

To witness this, my grisly end,

Perhaps there is a heart there after all,

For though her actions seemed like love,

The word was never spoken of,

And now too late, alas my head must fall,

But though I’m accused of treachery,

You’ll hear no cries of mercy please,

Or endless begging that I might be spared,

I made mistakes, yes I confess,

But all I did, I did for Beth,

To protect her from her enemies I swear,

Was I ambitious? I answer yes,

But what man does not strive for the best?

Though perhaps in truth I strayed beyond the line,

The tax on wine, the council seat,

I believed these things were due to me,

But through it all my heart was hers not mine,

Alas she believes me not, then nor should you,

Just do what you are paid to do,

And may the Lord have mercy on my soul,

Beth and I can be no more,

Then what is there worth living for?

Best perish now than live less than a whole,

Will Beth’s eyes fill with bitter tears?

Upon my death? They’ll not I fear,

For I was just a plaything at her whim,

Half her age, a foolish youth,

That pledged his love and spoke the truth,

To win a heart no mortal man could win,

The Virgin Queen, she will be named,

Her heart as twisted as her frame,

Yet even now it grieves me so to say,

For did she act each time we kissed?

Or lie each time she said she missed,

My person every time I was away?

I cannot believe such things, and yet,

Your axe stands poised above my neck,

Gleaming like a spectre in the night,

Axe man do your duty well,

Send me to Heaven or to Hell,

But do it now, I beg you Axe man strike.

By S.E.Ralph

 
27-3-2007