Charlotte Corday, 1793

When Charlotte Corday came to Paris,

She had only one thing on her mind:

To rid the world of Jean Paul Marat--

The veritable scourge of humankind.

 

Leaning toward the moderate Girondins,

Corday despised the Jacobin stance

Of killing opposers to the Revolution

And terrorizing the people of France.

 

Marat incited the Jacobin furor

With his deeply radical point of view.

Corday also blamed him for causing

The September Massacres of '92.

 

After journeying to Paris from Caen,

She found a shop, purchased a knife,

Wrote an address to the "friends of peace,"

And then set out to take Marat's life.

 

Imagine Marat in his bathtub writing--

It seems an awkward position to be in

When seeing guests, but Marat suffered

From horrible sores all over his skin.

 

Corday spoke of a possible uprising

And provided names at Marat's request.

Then she took out the six-inch blade

And plunged it into the "monster's" chest.

 

After Corday was tried and sentenced,

She stirred up some attention when

She asked to have her portrait painted.

(They milked the media way back then!)

 

Marat's body was marched through the streets

While Charlotte Corday lost her head.

HE became the martyr, which caused

More innocent blood to be shed.

 

She said she killed ONE to save a THOUSAND.

Co-conspirators? They never found any.

She took matters into her own hands;

But her plan backfired--as do many.

 

To act or not to act is the question;

There always will be decisions to make.

Remember, consequences will follow

Whatever course of action we take.    

(6-24-16)

Reviews

[Coyote Poetry]

Honest, powerful and true wisdom shared in your words.
"To act or not to act is the question;
There always will be decisions to make.
Remember, consequences will follow
Whatever course of action we take. "
The above are facts. Blood demands blood and murder need revenge. Thank you for sharing the story. I did enjoy this one.
Coyote