On a Cheerful Note

Crazy Thinking but True


I smoke but I won’t use NSAIDS.
What I discovered about Indocin scared me half to death.
The same warnings come with Advil.
Death by sudden heart attack. Perforated GI tract,
resulting in death. Stroke without symptoms.

I smoke my morning cigarette, sipping my coffee,
remembering the dire warnings on ibuprophen.
In, out goes the smoke through my lungs.
I am appalled that my favorite pain killer could be a killer.
How many times have I popped four in my mouth
and swallowed them with my coffee, looking for relief,
ignorant of the deadly forces at work as they wend
their way through my precious, imperfect body,

How many thousands of mini death machines have I downed
in search of sweet relief. Look up “ibuprophen” sometime.
It will scare you silly. They masquerade as medical friends when in fact
they are time bombs. I can take umbrage with NSAIDS
while smoking because my cigarette does not masquerade
as anything, and I like my poison straightforward.

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