Elizabeth Cochrane(Nellie Bly)

Courage and commitment to a cause
Deep in her heart
Clearly it a karmic debt
That she had to impart
At 18 under a pen name
She became Nellie Bly
Worked on the New York World Newspaper
And she could reply

With all her tenacity and cohesion
A lady who could be
Tougher than most others
Who have walked through history
An utter single mindedness
That saw her take 10 days
At the Blackwell Island
mental Hospital for women
A dark craze

An evil tone whose shadows
Fell across her soul
She pretended to be mad
Out of all control
So as to write up truths
That were all hidden
About this place
That Was truly torturing women
And was a disgrace

It gave her a toehold
In tha patriarchal sphere
Allowing her to tell the world
What so many did fear
Her time there was extraordinary
It was torture day and night
On the ugliest food imaginable
Her audaciousness was right

For the time in what was a
Wilderness of terror to behold
Women were abused
Far too much,and wickedness was sold
What Elizabeth created with her
Courage and her will
Implanted a spot for women
That rapidly did spill

Born in 1864 died in 1922
A short life but the work she did
For women’s rights was true
Put in some foundations
Gave women a view
Till that time things had just seemed awful
What she had done she drew

A brighter picture out there
For females of the day
Emphasising the positive
And helping to light their way
Proving rights were integral
And had to be maintained
She did so much for all of us
And through her life, we have gained.

Elizabeth Cochrane 05/1864 died 1922 age 57 years
Wrote under her pen name Nellie Bly

women of the world give thanks

Claudie thanks for posting story
Which allowed me to write this poem x