Poetry

Blame

They had a problem.
Studying, experimenting,
Inquiring, searching.
None of it helped.
What they found
Was only their own impatience.
With their impatience
Rose a suspicion.
They latched on.
They had no idea
What they were doing
But she was involved.
They followed her.
She must have been frightened.
Poor thing.
They caught her, tested her
And she was a puzzle piece.
They let her go.
They watched her.
For years she danced
On a delicate line
Feeling their leash around her neck.
Then she slipped free.
They panicked.
She refused to give up. Wanted to survive.
But they found her again
Because she killed
Without knowing it.
And this time she didn't struggle
For everything must be her fault.
She was locked away.
Never to endanger another soul, they said.
Blamed her for everything.
After a a while, they pitied her.
Let her take walks.
She always came back.
Nothing was left for her.
She was broken in.
Then they let her go.
And everyone knew that
Everything was her fault
Even though she never did anything wrong.

.~*~.

Inspired by a documentary (heh) about Typhoid Mary. Dated October 14th, 2004.