The Writer's Voice
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An Honest Man and His Best Friend
by
Jessica Sayer
There, they walked, an honest man and his
best friend
The honest man did good which was bad and ended with a
price on his head
His best friend knew this well, and tended to have
their friendship end
He drew his sword toward the honest man, whose heart
now bled
The honest man asked, 'Oh but why? Oh but why?'
Redcoats came, and took the honest man to his waiting
room
The Red Leader said, 'Your funeral is being arranged.'
He looked oddly shocked, waiting in his ill smelling
tomb
The Redcoat leader told the others, 'Have his clothes
changed.'
The honest man asked his captors, 'Oh but why? Oh but
why?'
The Redcoats thought he was mad with betrayal
And left him to ponder why his friend did such an
awful thing
'I've always been good to him, even when he was sick
and frail.
Now I am to hang... to hang on such a thin string,'
He thought to himself, 'Oh but why? Oh but why?'
His best friend, heavy with guilt, came to talk
To talk about why he had lied. 'I came to apologize.
My family needs the money,' he said, while back and
forth he walked.
'I am so sorry, please understand.' All the while, he
plainly lied.
The honest man said slowly, 'Oh but why? Oh but why?'
The best friend left him somewhat confused
He knew his best friend just lied through his teeth
He thought up a plan, that was sure not to lose
He picked up and started eating his meat
The honest man said with a grin, 'Oh but why? Oh but
why?'
The Redcoats came once again, and took the honest
man from his tomb
They walked him towards the waiting string and the
awaiting crowd
They watched silently with grim faces, his best and a
servant with a broom
Up to the hanging now, his face white, realizing just
how
He turned and said helplessly with fright, 'Oh but why?
Oh but why?'
'Any last words?' asked a Redcoat with a mask.
He nodded, 'Yes. All I have to say is I forgive.'
With that he was dropped, all in the court, worried eyes
they cast
All but one, who screamed out, 'LET HIM LIVE!'
The masked one turned to him and said gravely, 'Oh but
why? Oh but why?'
With a tear down one cheek, he turned with a heart now
black
Like the bare December night, with no moon for light
He walked away, with the weight of an invisible black
sack
He turned back to the court seeing the horrible sight
He screamed and cried, 'Oh but why?'
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