To sit in solemn silence in a dull, dark dock,
In a pestilential prison, with a life-long lock,
Awaiting the sensation of a short, sharp shock,
From a cheap and chippy chopper on a big black block!

 

W.S. Gilbert

 

Ko-Ko, Pooh-Bah, and Pish-Tush contemplate losing their heads.

From The Mikado by Gilbert and Sullivan.