Only
once was it presented
only
once was it glimpsed
dragged
beaten and scourged
to
be ridiculed and abased
destroyed.
The
bearer stood silent waiting
without
expectation but
in
full knowledge of what was
and
what was to be
destroyed.
To
placate and play to
for
the sake of the nation
for
the good of the people
he
said here is the man to be
destroyed.
This
poem is submitted for the One Word Blog Carnival hosted by Peter Pollock. To see other posts submitted
for the prompt of “innocence,” please visit Peter's site.
Illustration: Ecce Homo by Antoni Ciseri
(1871)
