I’ve seen a man being hanged

I’ve seen a man being hanged
On his head was a black bag
The floor gave way
The rope squeezed his neck
He was choking from what I can tell
His hands were tied,
So only his feet jerked around
Two minutes or so
He’s dead from what I can tell.
It was a limp body
Hung at the neck
With a black bag for a head
Six was my age then
It was short and new
To see it again,
I really wanted to

And later I did
Only with a slight difference
At home I entered
And there I saw it again
Another man, with a rope on his neck
Just kicked the chair
And saw me as he fell
You’d think he’d changed his mind
Yet it was all too late
The chair already fell
I saw his face clearly
That man was my father
Looking back, I think he wanted help
I think he wanted to stop
Out of embarrassment
For I did intrude upon
A very private moment
Like wanting your clothes
After being caught naked

I was petrified
I was no longer fascinated
It was horrible and pathetic
I saw his eyes almost explode
The slobber on his mouth
His tongue straining out
Saw his arms pull at the rope
Then let go, over and over
His legs kicking all over
Then shiver.
Three minutes or so
He’s dead from what I can tell
It was a limp body
Hung at the neck
With the head of my father
It was short and new
To see it again,
I’d never want to.

December 2007