John Wilkes Booth Poem by Francis Duggan

'Tis written of the man who murdered Lincoln that he was not right in the head
But of anyone who commits such a crime the same thing can be said
But in truth he only was fulfilling his life's destiny
And none of us are perfect or so 'twould seem to me.

The actor John Wilkes Booth was a handsome man and one who knew of great fame
Yet why did he commit such a foul crime and cloak himself in shame?
With the thinking of the majority of Americans he for one did not agree
In the face of President Lincoln only evil he did see.

From the law that pursued him for Booth no safe place to hide
A short time later he was gunned down and from his wounds he died
That now is part of old history and life on Earth goes on
And the past it now is history the past forever gone.

The man who murdered Lincoln centuries of years ago
Around the story of John Wilkes Booth the myths and legends grow
He had to be a mad man many are known to say
But what happened centuries ago is of little relevance to today.