The King's Peace

 

The King’s Peace

 

For a designated time,

Your exercise of speech,

However free, may lead to crime,

If Charles’s peace you breach,

And if you’re brandishing a sign,

On which there’s nothing written,

Be wary, lest you cross the line,

Of masses, royally smitten.

 

For on that sign you may well write,

“Charles is not my king”,

Triggering the righteous spite,

Of those his praises sing;

So claimed a policeman, pulling rank,

Threatening with ejection,

The bearer of the placard blank,

All for his, “Own protection”.

 

The placard bearer quietly left,

His viewpoint yet unspoken,

And with his sign of words bereft,

The peace remained unbroken,

The coffin, royal standard’ draped,

Down the Mall was driven,

And no dissenting word escaped;

No tolerance was given.