The police failed to control, <br />The large inflow of people, <br />So, they laid out a plan <br />To arrest the girl soon. <br /> <br />The only course of action <br />That could be easily taken <br />Was to take her into custody <br />When she was taking money. <br /> <br />For it was deemed an offence <br />To do any religious practice <br />With the sole aim of profit, <br />That attracted police arrest. <br /> <br />They sent a person, <br />Posing as a rich man, <br />To trap Bernadette <br />At her house, Cachot. <br /> <br />To Louise he said, <br />“My daughter, in sick bed, <br />Wants your daughter, <br />Her rosary, to spare.” <br /> <br />“I’ll give a gold coin <br />If her rosary is given <br />In exchange for this <br />For my daughter’s use.” <br /> <br />Louise refused his offer <br />As it wasn’t proper <br />To sell the rosary, <br />Blessed by the Lady. <br /> <br />He begged however <br />For another favor <br />“Let her touch at least <br />The rosary I’ve brought.” <br /> <br />“Two silver coins <br /> I’ll give for this. <br />Please don’t refuse <br />As a special case.” <br /> <br />Bernadette refused this <br />And left the house, <br />Saying, “Go away please <br />The Lady will not like this.” <br /> <br />Out of mere sympathy, <br />Louise placed his rosary, <br />O’er her daughter’s bed, <br />But not for money she did. <br /> <br />With a cunning look, <br />He took his rosary back, <br />Leaving two coins there <br />Secretly in a table corner. <br /> <br />Jean Marie, who noticed it <br />Kept them in his pocket, <br />To be given to his mother <br />When there was a need later. <br /> <br />The police took the family, <br />But during the enquiry, <br />The coins came out <br />From Jean Marie’s pocket. <br /> <br />Bernadette gave him a blow <br />The two coins she did throw <br />On the floor of the court, <br />And gave her feelings out. <br /> <br />The court found the case <br />As the one most frivolous <br />And let off the family <br />Who were not guilty. <br /> <br />It was a moral victory <br />For the Soubirous family, <br />It earned them more respect <br />But for the police, a defeat.<br /><br />Rajaram Ramachandran<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/a21-plan-to-trap-failed/
