The Assassination

"Do you not find something very strange

About?" asked the First Fate.

"Very strange indeed," answered the Second Fate,

"He is immune to change."

"Yes, he is always young," complained the First Fate.

"He never heeds us," said the Second.

"I, for example, have often called and beckoned."

"We must kill him while he sleeps."

"He does not sleep."

"Then we must make him weep."

"He does not weep."

"Or laugh?"

"Only at his own epitaph,

Half tears and laughter half."

"Then how to death, that worst fate,

To doom him?"  said the First Fate.

"Oh, he's a clever one, and we've long reckoned."

Answered the second.

"But we can cope

With such a fellow, can we not,

What?"

"Could we not, say with a falling girder,

Carelessly cause an unintended murder?"

"Why not?"

"He's dead.  Who said we could not cope

With this young fool.  What was his name?"

"His name?"

"Of course that's not within our scope,

But just the same..."

"Hope was his name."

"How funny, Hope."

Robert Hellyer