Introducing Ms Cochrane, or Nelly Bly,
A woman of grit and ambition.
Who checked herself into a mental asylum,
Entirely of her own volition.
To write a blistering exposé
Of the insane, all pitiful creatures,
Subjected to cruelty, clearly not hearsay,
But one of her most powerful features.
She holds the record, like the fictional Phileas Fogg,
Of travelling round the world in less than 80 days,
And writing for The World a travelogue,
Of how she did this by only ship and rail.
I urge you to read ’bout this astonishing gal,
Who lived off her wits and her nerves,
Who lifted spirits, raised morale,
And did so with panache and with verve.