The girl
She’s special, or maybe just simple
Electro-shock makes her scream
She bites her tongue off
They like their levers and their needles
That pierce her and make her moan
Soon they will break her
But she doesn’t break
She awakens
She can do things now
So, they start to watch her
Pump her with drugs
Just to see her tick
But she is still empty inside
At least for a while
Then the changes start
Little changes
A pen drops, a glass breaks
They are concerned
Maybe a little scared
Maybe they need to be nice
Maybe she needs to be put down
Maybe they should make a decision
Before she does
She knows them
Knows the ones that
Talk to her
No lab coats or needles
But still they dance in her
They make her feel
She likes these feelings
They tell her things
Things that went on before
Of names and people
Long forgotten
They didn’t forget
They don’t want her to forget
They think it’s time that
She reminds the lab coats
Just who’s in charge here
It’s time for them to wake up
Remember who they are
So, she turns those white lab coats red
Probes and pulleys and levers
Turns them this way and that
And soon she fixes them all
She looks at her handiwork
And shakes her head
No, no, this will not work
I have to try again
She crumbles the paper
And lights a match
And soon it will all go up
In a beautiful plume of yellow and smoke
And when that’s done
She and her new friends
Can go find others to play with
And see what makes them tick
Kate Bush’s “Experiment IV” was my inspiration for this poem.
