Workshop # 17

My lord, I have come from afar,
To seek justice and follow my star,
Yet my lawyers keep hounding me in jail,
Demanding money to plead my bail!

I’ve six children and a termagant for wife,
Whose burdens are awesome and shorten my life,
So from home and spouse I’ve run away, es
And am appearing before you to grant me say!

What prospects do I have at this age?
When every bone in my body cries with rage,
At being enmeshed in the grips of the Law,
Surrounded by legal crows that around me caw!

Have some care for this contrite young man,
And proceed with his case as fast as you can,
Before he loses face with his village folks,
Who will come out to pelt him with egg yolks!

The Law is an expensive farce I must claim,
Yet the Bench will not accept any blame,
For the sorry state of justice in this land,
With judges meting out punishment with an iron hand!

The parasites that appear before this court,
Are not fit for defending the meanest tort!
For lesser folks litigation is an unending woe,
So stop this nonsense, this crazy legal show!

Am I to blame for my counsel’s sloth?
Which has reduced me to wearing sackcloth,
His arguments are only meant to please judges,
From this fixed stance he never budges!

My Lord, let me reiterate once more,
Before the bailiff shows me the jail door,
Failure of justice in this land is a national loss,
As the best courts turn green with ivy and moss!