The Speech Of All Time

It was his last speech
He was choking and gasping for breath
Staring directly into my eyes
I can still hear his words clearly;

"I can't say I've been a gOod man
I've had my shortcomings
But I don't think I deserve this...
You don't even know me
Besides the picture of me that was given to you
Do you know I'm a father of two lovely kids
A boy and a girl
Tom and Tracy
I just bought that doll you see on the shelf for Tracy
Tomorrow she'll be two
Now I don't have another hour left
Darkness's hovering over me
Will you tell her I love her please?
I'm cold inside
I always knew I was going to die
But I never knew how
Tom and I were scheduled to go for a ride later today
You think he'll be disappointed in me for failing him?
As I lie here in a pool of my blood
Slowly exiting the world
What is reason enough to put a man to death?
Worst is a man you don't even know
How much does a man's life worth
Do you care to know?
Its easy to squeeze the trigger and let the bullet go
But do you know how many souls you hurt with just one shot
What becomes of my lovely wife?
You've ushered her into untimely widowhood
She won't get to know why her husband died
Talk more of knowing who  killed him
My kids will be orphans now
Just 5 and 2
Imagine how much they'll miss their dad
In a world so cruel...
Yes I've met my end
I'm no longer scared my friend
I only look back at those I'm leaving behind
Their existence depended solely on me
I was the breadwinner
Now you've snatched me from them
In the most gruesome manner
I guess its my fate
But you see that's what all men owe
I'm paying mine now thanks to you
But I wonder...
How do you feel when you cut others down?
People who's done nothing wrong against you
Just because you're contracted to do it
I hold no offense against you my friend
But look behind you and see those faces in the picture frame
Tell me sincerely do you feel sorry for them?
Do you?
Do you?
I can't breathe
I see a bright light
I see a tunnel
I wish I could see my wife and kids
So I can kiss them farewell
And tell them about where I'm going
Its a beautiful place free from pain
No t.e.a.r.s
No d.e.a.t.h
So long my friend..."

He choked again
Coughing out blood
Grabbed my leg tightly
And then slowly he droPped
Still holding my leg

I stood there before him dumbfounded
Tears running down my cheek
Weeping intensely
I sat down next to him
In a pool of his blood
His eyes wild open
Still staring at me
In them I saw flashes of the men I've killed
I wept even more...

The feeling of guilt was unbearable
Weighing me down like a million bricks on my head
A crisis of conscience gripped me
Suddenly I began to flee
I ran like I was being pursued
Not looking back all the way
Until I came to a church
I rushed in and knelt before the priest

Weeping...
Couldn't say nothing
I kept weeping

I wept for hours
Before summoning the strength to tell my story
The priest said prayers for me
I did my penance
Now I'm in jail
Where I'll spend the rest of my life
Yet I'm a happy man
I'm no longer a killer
Even though sometimes in the night
I still their bloody faces in my dream