On the 5th Of December

the year after he died,

the courtroom was crowded,

the widow cried,

as the defendants came in,

each one wearing a grin.

Well the prosecutions case

had been flimsy at best

and even the Judge said

he wasn't impressed

that it had come to trial,

Oh, how those young men smiled.

The jostled each other

as they sat in the dock,

Laughing at the witnesses,

Lord, how they mocked,

though everyone could tell

they were as guilty as hell,

The judge had little option,

he would latter insist,

but due to lack of evidence

the case was dismissed

and they were free to go,

The widow hollered No!!

How can this be justice?

they deserve to be hung,

you can't just let them walk away

after what they done,

Judge, what would you do?

if they had done it to you?

But the Judge said to be quiet

or be held in contempt,

that justice was for everybody,

no-one's exempt

and the case wasn't proved,

sit down or he'd have her removed.

She couldn't believe this was happening,

how could it be true ?

she slumped down in silence

for a moment or two,

but the grief and the pain,

they must have drove her insane,

She thought about her husband

lying dead in the park,

watching the defendents

as they pointed and laughed,

how could things be worse?

as she reached into her purse.

Removing a revolver

which she fired at the dock,

one defendent fell

the other stood there in shock,

not believing his eyes,

then he started to cry,

begging for forgiveness,

Lord don't kill me please,

I didn't want to do it,

and he sank to his knees,

but she fired once more,

he sprawled out on the floor,

From the doorway came a policeman

with a gun in his hand,

"Put down the weapon",

was his sharp command,

she didn't listen to him

but placed the barrel under her chin.

He said, "Think of your daughter,

what will she do if you die?"

"Please, tell her I'm sorry",

came the soft reply,

"But it's better this way",

then she had nothing left to say,

A slight squeeze of the trigger,

a jerk of the head,

a final explosion,

and a shower of red

and she was grieving no more,

she lay at peace on the floor.

It was the 5th Of December

the year after he died.

By S.E.Ralph

19-5-2011