Lying on the rare
Psychedelic river named
Thames, I wept for life.

My mother called last
Night. She said Thames messes with
You, causes cancer.

She suffered from renal
Failure, after doing the same.
That is why I wept.

The cool, brown water
Washed over me. It rinsed my mind.
It tames me from me.

Revelation strikes
My heart, maybe I should leave
And never look back.

Humor me with your insults
By now I’ve heard this stand up comedy routine so many times
I could do it sitting down
Laughter is the best medicine but I am overdosing
This substance in a prescription bottle with your name on it
It makes me toss my head back with the pills
And I laugh and I laugh

I never wonder what it would be like for me to not have my disease
But I do wonder what it would be like to be someone without it

What it would be like to not miss school to see a doctor whose specialty my classmates can't even spell
What it would be like not to take a pill every morning
What it would be like to not face the repercussions of not taking my pill one morning
What it would be like not to pay for the Synthroid
What it would be like to not know anything about it

I think it would be quite ordinary
I think I would be weaker for it
not being able to endure the symptoms
I think I would have less initiative
Not having to take my pill for myself at a young age
I think I would be less curious
Not wanting to know more about myself
I think I'm better off for it

I know more about myself
I know more about the world around me
I know more about perseverance
I know more about medicine
I know more about budgeting
I know more about individuality

I would never want for me to not have my disease
I'm a better person for it

I’m so anxious I can’t sleep
I have to get up for work at 4 am
I’m a little light headed
and my stomach hurts
I have a numbing sensation running through my legs to my head
I’m scared
I just want to cry
and scream
and run
and sleep
all at the same time
I’m so ******* uncomfortable right now I am mad
I’m lonely
I don’t want to be alone right now
but I also don’t want to be bothered
My prescription ran out and this is what I get for not getting it filled in time
My anxiety makes me so forgetful and spontaneous

There is laughter in nature,
The gurgling of streams,
The singing of the birds,
The rustling of the leaves,
The radiant Sun,
The colourful rainbow,
The blossoming of flowers,
The early morning dew that refreshes the soul,
The pitter patter of raindrops
The gentle sway of the breeze
The chuckle of the dolphins,
The giggles of the rats,
The pants of dogs.
And laughter in us,
In the sharing of pleasures,
In the sweetness of friendship,
Bonding of two souls,
Laughter is the best medicine,
Let us laugh with others not at others.

Sullen eyes that seek comfort
after a bout of worrying
and churning stomachs
days on end without medicine
supplies are only for the few

They come and go
while the man behind the table
waits for a minute to rest
coming home without sleep
pushing the old wheel of life

The vulnerable and disconcerted
may rest on their arched backs
hanging on to nothing
but spare change to their names

The mortal life only seeks to be saved

Love.

It is that
baneful
medicine
we keep
taking...

...even
without
reading
the labels.

medicine doesn't always come in the form of a capsule, powder or bitter tasting liquid. medicine isn't always hard to swallow or a pain to refill at the pharmacy, nor is it made by a chemist wearing a white coat and goggles. sometimes medicine is a heartfelt laugh from the person you love. it's a gentle whisper that everything is okay, a squeeze of the hand bringing reassurance and calm. medicine is a smile with eyes turned up in a grin. it's an hour of time spent in the park with kisses and conversation. it doesn't come with annoying side-effects of pounding headaches and dizziness with fatigue. instead it reaps results: healing of mind, body and soul.