Poem: Requiem For A Street Corner Revised

It happened on a street corner while many stood nearby,

But his tragic past now haunts him,

Though it happened ‘fore he died.

Perhaps, he did it once before,

so he might still deserve to die.

If he struggled with his demons and he failed least once or twice,

And if he did it in his lifetime he might still deserve to die.

The Past will be his judge and the jury at the trial,

For he did it once before so he must deserve to die.

No matter what the outcome or the malice that was tried,

If he did it once before,

And was weak as you and I,

If he did it once before,

Then he could still deserve to die.

The story he could tell is gone,

And buried where he lies,

It twill never reach the Light of Day,

But now it is enough to know that he did it once before,

So he could still deserve to die.

And no matter what we know today,

It will be enough to hear of how he failed to live upright,

It will not matter what the cost or how hard that he once tried,

But like the mortal that he was,

He might still deserve to die.

-Albert Turner Goins