An oval of compounded dope as white
as pharmacy and not prescribed for me
I swallowed with a sip of water right
before I started work, and now I’m free
of pain in head or neck. Unpleasant smell
I have in mouth but what I have in mind
is worth that bitter price. My brain is well
amused; I am not bored; my fists unwind;
I tingle in my palms. My temples ease
their steady grip and steady as I go.
My crown is knocked in cockeyed anti-style.
Admitting I’m degenerate I please
myself with substances. As we all know
they seem to work, I argue with a smile.