ABC The Tiger Lillies

A is for Arsenic someone thought fun
To include in the icing on top of a bun
B is for bats that swoop out of the air
And squeaking inaudibly catch in one's hair
C is for cord of a moderate length
To hang oneself with it requires no great strength
D,E,F,G,H,I,J
K is for Kris with a blade that is wavy
One wonders why somebody smeared it with gravy
L's for a letter that lay in a trunk
Its contents explain how the dinghy was sunk
M is for madhouse where is confined
A lady whose friends say she's out of her mind
N,O,P
Q is for quilt wrapped around a dead torso
A sick-making sight could scarcely be more so
R is for Ray's wicked invention
Dissolves at a distance the parts you don't mention
S is for suicide so it would seem
But then who was it uttered that unfinished scream
T,U,V,W,X
Y is for yonder where someone is lying
Which proves, seen close, to be somebody dying
Z is for zero, the hour of doom
It will strike any minute but no-one knows to whom