No Court to vent, no platform to proclaim

No moment to publicly address

No opportunity for Silken reason

No line drawn and judgement duly passed

The trial will draw on and on forever

The case against and verdict so returned

The sentence travels day by day in parallel

The victim of the punishment of conscience

Guilt, guilt! Is never spent, lest forgiven

Is never bought with days or months or years

But carried like a ball and chain a crashing

Against the heart with every fleeing step.