Doctors Recommend Soma (Side Effects Include Cotton Mouth, Drowsiness, and A Vague Doubt In The Use Of Living)

These pills are small and delicate, helpless little orphans,
and my body is a temple. Ain’t nobody got it like
this little bottle of mine- white little capillaries
pills of death that pulse and keep me (from)
breathing.

One every four hours, do not exceed six.
I’m sixty nined from bars and dimes every minute so
I dose in doubles, puffing silver linings
on a rummy cloud. I am The Great Pretender,
forgetful historian, a series of bullet points
on what it means
to be listless. I am the vague biographer,
caustic chronicler of the categorically insignficant.

But it’s not so bad. These woes
whoa me no more and dreams feel more real
when I’m awake; I call it lucid living. I still
envy the bravery of the corner vagrant
shouting from his crack-ed lungs at pigeons
and public in the park, but at least
he doesn’t linger in my mind
and ruin me any more.
My heart no longer brags like Plath-
no more I am I am I am’s- it sighs.
But twice every four hours
my smile comes easier, and
I can see the faults in our starlight eyes
and badly thatched hearts.

Stale highs eventually go violently low
and I have to stop myself from smashing something
delicate. The closest thing being a bottle, or myself,
and I would, if only I could get a grip. But
when the night grows teeth and digs into the heart
and memories, what do you do?

Set the alarm and
try again tomorrow.