Wednesday, March 21, 2018

"Possible Side Effects": A Found Poem (from Rx handouts)

It seems like each month I ingest more pills
My doctor assures me they help solve life’s ills
But each drug arrives with a Side Effects list
I’ll tell you a few and you’ll soon get the gist 

Hearing loss, mania, ringing ears, heavy breathing
Joint pain, eye pain, chest pain, bone pain 
Coughing, itching, cold sweats, unusual bleeding
Upset stomach, belching, rapid weight gain 

Trouble moving, trouble swallowing, trouble sleeping, trouble talking 
Nightmares, nose bleeds, hallucinations, amnesia
Diarrhea, clumsiness, problems in walking
Angiderma, xerostomia, tachycardia, asthenia

Tingling feet, numb feet, prickly feet, trembling feet 
Swollen glands, dizziness, skin irritation
Fast breathing, tarry stools, puffy eyelids, slow heartbeat 
Indigestion, constipation, painful urination  

Runny nose, suicide attempts, shivering, sneezing 
Slurred speech, seizures, aggressive acts
Bleeding gums, liver damage, vomiting, wheezing
Dermititis, yellow eyes, panic attacks 

Flatulence, bleeding gums, dark-colored urine
Fever, convulsions, sadness, bad breath 
Dry skin, scaly skin, yellow skin, blue skin 
Acute renal failure, loss of consciousness, death

Most of these side effects aren’t so bad
The most inconvenient, I would guess, is death
But even death keeps your blood pressure low
The worst fate of all: having bad breath 


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