Better than death

First came the lies
That did not look like lies
Lies that had
The whisper of truth
Lies whispered
From ear to ear
Instilling the fear
Of the worst
So that when the blow fell
As painful as it could be ---
Everyone sighed
Relieved it was not
What they feared
What the whispers
Had hinted at --
When the blow itself
Was neither moral nor just
And later understood
After everything was lost
To be the crime it was
Though the chorus
At the time
Kept harping
It was better than death