Oh, leave him alone!
Can’t you see he’s beaten?
For pity’s sake,
treat this exhausted victim
with some dignity. This is
no common thief to be stripped
and mocked. Ugly welts now stripe
his back, blood from his coronation
runs in channels down his face
to match his borrowed scarlet robe.
This is no time for debate about
whether he is a king or not. He has
already suffered far more than
enough, but worse is yet to come.
Just give him a break! Let him be.