murmuring voices

murmuring voices in awoken dream
tell us that this is time to end the tale
not one who's here believes that we could fail
or wants to hear the final strangled scream
but we've seen what is hanging from the beam
and know full well just what we must bewail
there is no drop of mercy in the pail
and for the children not one taste of cream
this is an ending that we did not seek
stories were told that no one wished to hear
and all good visions went up in a smoke
nothing's been left for the benign and meek
just the exhausted weeping in their beer
and an old jester laughing at the joke