“I’m Not a Madman!”

Cover of Sherlock Holmes - The Woman in Green

“ I’m Not a Madman!”

I was
convinced it was a tremendous act of fate,

When
assigned an interview that would air at eight,

I would
interview a murderer as his doctor studied him,

But he
watched me as he addressed his doctor’s latest whim,

The recorded
interview went as follows,

As he tried
to prove to us his words weren’t hollow:

“How can I convince
you that she is there in my dreams?

Either I’m a
liar or a madman it seems,

But wait!
Didn’t I just tell you about your uncle, Dr. Thoreau?

Where do you
think I got that information, I want to know?”

“The woman
in green told me about him and others too,

She travels
in both worlds, even if you think that’s taboo,

Whispering
in my ear until the break of dawn,

Rarely do I
sleep, you see how my face is drawn?”

While she’s
in your world would you find her and talk?

Ask her to
stay out of my dreams, no longer should she stalk,

Yes, I think
she’s beautiful and I’d like to sample her charms,

But she only
smiles and teases me, never in my arms,”

“You’ll see,
you’ll see, that’s all you ever answer me,

If you don’t
believe me, how can I ever be free?

I’m not a
liar, you know I always tell you every fact,

Don’t shake
your head, you know that makes me react,”

“You think
these bindings will hold me if I choose to leave?

Dr. Thoreau,
if I broke loose you’d have so much to grieve,

Do I need a
sedative so I can finally get some rest?

I’m afraid
of the woman in green, what else do you suggest?”

“You’ll
consult with the other doctors and hear what they say?

You’ll post a guard outside my door to watch both night and day?

You think
someone is crazy, and for once we finally agree,

Wait, you’ve
got this wrong, the crazy one isn’t me,”

“I see the
woman in green at night when she checks the fluids bag,

I pretend
that I’m sleeping, I’m good but I won’t brag,

One of these
nights she’ll stop to whisper in my ear,

I’ll leap up and grab her, and her eyes will
show fear,”

“Her days of
walking in a shadowy world will be done,

And I will
keep her as my proof of a trophy won,

Dr. Thoreau,
you’ll be surprised to see that I don’t lie,

And dreams
that are real to me can sometimes die,”

“You’ll know
for an instant that a madman I cannot be,

Then you’ll
join the woman in green and I’ll be free,

Hiding in
shadows, waiting for someone alone to sleep,

In the
middle of the night, by her bedside I will creep,”

“Whispering
in her ear until the break of day,

Waiting
until she wakes and asks me to stay,

She will
love me forever to see I’m not a dream,

Unless she’s
a madwoman and decides to scream,”

“I’m not a
madman,” he told me confidentially,

“After
you’ve heard my story, I think you’ll agree,”

He waited
for my opinion, watching my eyes,

“Just tell
me the truth, I don’t want to hear lies,”

His bindings
appeared secure, he couldn’t lunge,

Without much
hesitation, I took the plunge,

“No one will
tell you because it doesn’t matter,

But you’re
crazy all right, crazy as a mad hatter,”

He coughed,
then grinned, and began to cackle,

“It wouldn’t
take much to get rid of these shackles,

One of these
days I’ll find a way to be free,

I’ll leave
you alone because you are honest with me,”

“I don’t
trust Dr. Thoreau, he hides behind words,

Or the other
doctors, who are like angry birds,

Neither do I
enjoy the shots that make me dream,

That’s one
of the reasons I dislike the woman in green,”

My time was
up, I had recorded his views,

I had everything
I needed to make the local news,

“So long,” I
said, “Just stay out of trouble,

Every wild
thing you do makes your time double,”

I was out of
the parking lot and onto the street,

When the
radio station called me about a disturbing feat,

A dangerous
man had escaped the cell he was in,

Did I know
where he was going? Or any of his kin?

I thought
without asking, the man on the loose,

Was looking
for vengeance while avoiding the noose,

It all
happened so quickly he couldn’t get far,

But I hope
you thoroughly check inside your car,

My interview
will be aired for all to see,

He’s considered
armed and dangerous, even to me,

Police are
swarming like bees from a hive,

His picture
is shown with the words, Dead or Alive,

He’s not a
liar if you believe what he said,

But his lies
are true, and they’re all in his head,

He might
tweet you or Google his brother,

Use his
mobile device to contact some other,

He’s got a
few quirks, and he’s just a little mean,

I don’t
think he likes anyone who’s wearing green,

A master of
disguises, he’s hard to describe well,

How long he
remains free, only time will tell,

He might
leave the area and rebuild his past,

He might
find love with a marriage that lasts,

Become an
outstanding citizen that everyone knows,

Live on a street
with trees lined in rows,

I’m only
guessing when I predict his life,

I’m hoping he will change from violence and
strife,

But he’s a
liar and a madman, he can’t change a lot,

Unless you
believe a leopard can change his spots.

Related articles

• The Last Throes of a MADMAN (timesunion.com)
• Nietzsche’s Parable of the Madman (metamorphosisofthemind.wordpress.com)
• Whispers (theforbiddendoors.wordpress.com)
• Go Confidently! (oneyogasolution.wordpress.com)