Who else has been named both widow and maiden?
Who else has served kings and queens alike??
Who else was known as humane but cruel?
Who else? Tell me.
Who else?

Who else has been named both fanlight and razor?
Who else has served criminals and heroes alike?
Who else was a well known remedy to good and bad fortune?
Who else? Tell me?
Who else?

Who else has been used both as razor and neck tie?
Who else has served justice/injustice alike?
Who else was famed to be quick and painless?
Who else? Tell me?
Who else?

The prompt at napowrimo.net: “Today, I challenge you to write a poem that features forgotten technology.”. I’m happy that this technology isn’t used any more, and was surprised to learn that it was once considered humane. This technology was used from the middle ages until after the second world war. You can read about its (gruesome) history here.