The Whore of Babylon , as one of Charcot ’ s Girls
Nikki Bausch
I ’ m not the Hysteric , Who must be locked up ,
Controlled , And photographed in my illness ,
My wild fear . My unkempt locks hiding my body .
The Case Study , With forlorn eyes , denied clothing , And violated by hundreds of medical male eyes ,
Forced to perform for this audience , In the name of science , And male achievement , Like a medical cabaret side show , Suddenly acceptable for respectable company to witness . Dehumanized .
I am the Whore of Babylon , My arms outstretched in my rage , Summoning storms ,
Here to reclaim what was stolen from me for centuries . The Monster that Society Created . The Mad Witch in the woods ,
I refuse to be vanquished .