sub thread {
    ## spawn a process to run the first command
    my $pid = open SSH, '|-', 'ssh' or die $!;

    ## send the command
    print SSH 'the first command';

    ## Sleep for a while
    sleep $timeout;

    ## if the process is still running
    if( kill 0, $pid ) {

        ## kill it
        kill 9, $pid;

        ## wait until it goes away
        sleep 1 while kill 0, $pid;

        ## Open a new ssh session
        $pid = open SSH, '|-', 'ssh' or die $!;
    }

    print SSH 'the second command';
    close SSH;
}