A melodic meld of comments, history, and empathetic pain in response to David Attias’s conditional release from Patton state psychiatric hospital.

Once upon a time,

State institutions

Changed on a dime,

Before solutions –

New ways to care –

Even existed,

Like a playground dare,

To live with the twisted.

Pretending family,

Would be prepared,

To offer amnesty,

And risk being snared,

And that the ill ones,

Would want their advice.

“They aren’t loaded guns.

They want to be nice.”

And yet tragedies,

Began to occur,

When certain fallacies,

Became some brain’s chauffeur,

And suddenly insanity,

Was an excuse for crime,

And the only way humanity,

Would make the ill ‘do time’.

But eventually,

They were again deemed fit,

To live mostly free,

With medicated wit.

“No need for locked doors,

If trained to pop pills.

Through board games and chores,

We’ll see if they’re still ill.”

And so optimism,

Became the prescription,

To avoid a schism,

Of inner conviction,

For Angels of Death and

Vipers of Vindication

With the upper hand –

Luxurious litigation.

Inspired by comments found here, here, and here.

Login

Please note this login is to submit events or press releases. Use this page here to login for your Independent subscription

Not a member? Sign up here.