The Cure

While out for a jog

In the woods by my house 

I ran into an old lady

At first I thought she could be a bit crazy

She looked like she was made of wood

And she had deep dark sunken eyes

I thought I should probably continue to run

She waddled up to me

Cane in one hand

And a little blue pill bottle in the other hand

She said, 

“I can see it in your eyes,

You’ve been hurt a few hundred times.

You have monsters playing tag in your mind

You have dancing shadows on your bedroom wall.

Here, take these,” she said as she handed me the little blue pill bottle.

“This is the perfect antidote for a heart made out of stone. 

This stuff will take you to nirvana.

It’ll make you a better man.

It’ll numb the pain.

It’ll chase away the shadows in your brain.

It’ll make you feel something real. 

It’ll make you forget all of your hate.

It’s your escape. 

It’s your freedom. 

It’s a lifeline, Kid

Just pop the lid

And pop one or two or three or four

And if you don’t feel good enough from four

Just take more

It’ll be fine

You can walk the line

You can fight off the cravings

Your life is worth saving, Kid. 

Pop the lid

Pop the lid

And come back again

When you need a refill

And if you start to feel ill

Pop another two or three

And if you start to go blind 

Pop these pills until you can see

You’ll see, kid

Pop this lid 

Pop this lid

And you can be free from your past again.”

She placed the little blue pill bottle in my hand

And smiled

Then she waddled off into the woods

I stared at the blue pill bottle in my hand for awhile

Before dropping it in front of my face

And kicking the shit out of it like it was football 

A few hundred pills flew up in the air

Like a goddamn firework

And 

I did feel a little better.

-CH 5/12/25