The firebrand lost his head

on account of a piece

of unsolicited marriage counseling.

Perhaps he loved his work too much?

Now that he’s got his top

underarm

closer to his heart

you wonder what he’ll speak

to power about unreasonable affections.

When his disciples came

to take away his body

they found it crying like a baby

because just before the severance

a bird had flown into his cell

and was hurt by him

as he tried to help it out.

It wasn’t fair that a life

so fragile should suffer

by a rough and clumsy hand.

In taking away his body

his disciples accidentally

dropped his upmost part.

They too began to cry.

It wasn’t fair

all this clumsy cruelty.