Sonnet in Which Most of the Rhymes Fail

How many now a thousand I can’t look
America a thousand still         I said
I couldn’t then I looked         how could I not
When I imagine Hell I see the dead

Together in a lake I see a thousand
About a thousand         in a burning lake
The only torment most of us remember
But where we heard of it we don’t remember

We us         how many children did we take
And keep are keeping though we’re better now
Have voted ourselves better         good enough

To try to give them back and give up slowly
How many now have most of all their lives
Been trapped with us while we were giving up