Oh my gusle, my instrument of old,
By modern times you will suffer not,
For gusle gentle tunes
Became our national lore.
And now I’ll sing a song
And picture the assassination
Of Kennedy the president
And day when he was killed.
By this sad news many a heart was frozen,
By a treacherous plan he was murdered
The president liked all over the world.
It was a burden on every heart,
So young and old mourn him alike.
Knowing nothing of what was to be,
Having no idea of murdering plot,
For the last journey he made up his mind
And to Texan people he sent a short note
That he’s coming there on a lesser tour,
For president election to ask for their votes.
The time then was bad but he chose to start,
On the twenty-second he came by the plane
Near city of Dallas to the airport.
The gathering masses warmly greeted him
And cheerfully welcomed him and his escort.
A bunch of scented roses was given to Jacqueline
And on the surface everything was fine.
The eleventh month it was and Friday,
Of nineteen-sixty-three almost an end,
The weather was clear after the rain,
The breeze flapped the banners as on boat the sails.
When procession started for city of Dallas
Kennedy was saluting the masses back.
With daring hand he waved to everyone
Driving along in an open car.
If the Lincoln car bulletproof glass was
All around him and not on purpose gone,
He would have been on safe
And would not have met his bitter end.
With Kennedy and by his side
Sat his wife Jacqueline in the same car,
And governor Connolly, the husband and wife,
Who loved the president with all their hearts,
And after them a long row of cars
Following him and Lyndon Johnson.
Within the city of Dallas on ten square miles
The magnificent welcome was performed,
Thousands and thousands of waving hands
In welcoming hubbub, clamor and uproar.
No incident ever happened on their way
To the Runner Street, where they were heading.
As soon as they passed a small underpass,
The buccaneer snipist shot his sniper gun.
The cheering smile went off the gentle face,
And enormous tragedy than has taken place.
The first bullet was at Kennedy shot
And nobody saw what was going on.
The thing has happened quickly and so fast,
The president’s fallen into his wife’s lap.
Then the woman shrieked: “My husband is killed!”
On the bunch of roses his blood then was spilt.
Neither Connolly knew what’s going on,
One bullet found him and he too was shot.
Moaning and shrieking in the cars than rose,
Riot and tumult and life last moments closed.
John with many wounds to the car-seats fell,
His wife all in tears is crying for help.
For his bitter wounds he could’ve said nothing,
Not even a word, not a sign, nor something.
It was a grim site and picture very sad
To look at your president and he was half dead.
Billy the driver had not lost his mind
And he turned the car out of the line.
The blue Lincoln car as fast as it could
Sped along the streets totally confused.
To Parkland Hospital it arrived at last
Alarming the staff, urging doctors fast.
The president Kennedy recently was shot,
By this news the Hospital was frozen a lot.
In the Lincoln car, at the rear seat
All smeared with tears and pale in the face,
Jackie holds her husband, and wounded, in brace.
By her feet the bunch of the scented roses,
The petals in blood, the blood from wounds oozes.
While Kennedy for life is fighting a battle,
The staff is in torrent, the doctors all hasten.
The very chief surgeon was not on the spot,
By phone they were trying to get other lot.
Nurse Doris is trying to urge and to spin
Certain doctor Perry, who runs from canteen.
The shock-room he enters and than he perceives
His president wounded in crisis appears.
The first aid his breeding puts at little ease,
But his lungs are inert, he no longer breeds,
And his daring heart never ever beats.
Doctor Perry takes his instruments out
And seeks for the help from doctors about,
While under the neck he cuts a long slit
To lessen the blood-stream going from wound-pit.
Whatever they did and all steps they took
Did not get him back to life. And look,
While the help was going on in room of shock,
Lady Jacqueline lingered frozen as the block.
She herself did see that there was no hope,
Kennedy was dead. As if in long slope,
She approached dead husband
And she kissed his hands, weeping loud
And screaming in walloping pain.
The ring she took off his motionless hand,
Put it on her finger, all to comprehend.
By that time the priest also did arrive,
The pastor named Huber, white sheets he did hive
When he saw dead Kennedy. And he then
In pain, to the widow offered condolences all,
Falling on his knees by the bed of death,
The old priest, he prayed and to the dead
President administered last rites,
So his priestly duty was finally done.
The coffin went out of hospital hall,
And was carried off to ambulance car.
A sun-ray on many rings of bronze did shine
And over the widow in the rear line.
All citizens present on this sad occasion,
Stricken by the news, all went into tears.
With horrible thing that happened in Dallas
The chosen few spokesmen introduced the masses.
One hour ago John Kennedy died,
Submitted to wounds, he never survived.
Lyndon Johnson’s going to be number one,
New president he is going to become.
In pain and in tears, grieving all along,
They put the bronze coffin into motor hearse
And widow Jacqueline took a seat behind,
Her heart frozen still and harder than stone,
A cold sweat on front and over her brow,
From dead husband she is not goin’ to withdraw.
At last motor hearse did take on its leave
To airport where Johnson waited to receive
The mortal remains of Kennedy John,
To take them to plane, to the pilot’s dome.
The important steps they then did partake,
In front of the judge that from Dallas came,
Still impressed by horror and all still in pain,
On the Holy Bible Johnson put his hand
And he took an oath, after judge replayed.
Lyndon Johnson now, vice-president once,
Thirty-sixth president became by sad chance.
Perturbance than rose in public relations
Acknowledging people on assassination,
On horrible crime of which all abhor,
And which is a shame, a blame and still more.
Was not there a remedy and better solution
Then to murder president, nation’s institution?
Our Government and our Executive Office
Offer condolences in painstricken notice.
All our flags were flying and on the half mast,
All over the country grievance was to last.
The friend now is gone, Kennedy is dead,
All our nation truly for this is so sad
And sad are the people all over the world.
When world for him was in the greatest need,
The steersman has gone, the boat has no lead.
A person like that hardly ‘s ever born.
Though the bitter fate has him from us torn,
Kennedy will live through what he has done.
Victimized for people and victim for rights,
Everlasting glory from us he behalves.

16'42''

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