(Poem) King of the Capsules

I love my pills

They have cool names

Let me introduce you

This is Duloxetine; he’s a French nobleman

Who slays werewolves between romantic conquests

Here’s Cymbalta, a new dance craze

Born in the basement dives of Buenos Aires

From a generation cut down by financial ruin

And reborn in fiery, fitful embrace

And then there’s Zoloft – the planet beyond the wormhole

Where all my socks and flash drives go

They’ve built a civilization over there

And lead happy lives in loving pairs.

But on this side of the event horizon

My little multicoloured space capsules

Keep me warm and safe from the dark void outside

And allow me to breathe

They stand sentinel before me every morning

My valiant and trusted pawns

Sure, they only move one square at a time

But always forward, never retreating

All the while dispatching the diagonizing demons

That attack at will, bursting through fences

Where once I stood with no defences.

I love my pills

They’re my mini time capsules

Like the one we buried at my old high school

Treasure troves of happy memories

Of the sweetness of rain coast sunshine

Of youthful kisses in treetops

Of beach fires, bong hits and starry canopies

All that in powder perfection, sealed in coloured shells

That melt on my tongue and set me free

Not with happiness, but with real vitality.

I’m the king of the capsules

My wish is their command

They salute me at the front line

As we brave uncharted land.