Quatern Nr.02 — Firing Squad

Today we shot a man who ran away    
conscripted ‘gainst his will to fight a war,    
an organist who fled to go and play    
his Sunday hymns amongst the district’s poor    
    
And 10 of us made up the firing squad:    
today we shot that man who ran away    
his adam’s-apple quivered rather odd -    
we squeezed the triggers ‘midst a windless day    
   
Last week he played the hymns for us, I say  
he played them very well, and no mistake;  
today we shot him dead - he’d run away    
an act of desperation - make or break    
   
He’s not the first you know we’ve had to shoot    
but trained we are to follow and obey    
last week we shot a man who played the flute -    
today we shot the man who ran away.