Gerald Schwartz

 

For J.K.

every morning
he swallowed his
pills     the pink
capsule let him
drink his vodka
the blue tablet
stopped his blood
from clotting the
red & green one
thinned his blood
the orange tablet
controlled his blood-
pressure & minimized
his erections-- or
was that something
altogether else? And
he had his monthly
injection of depot
to keep his
schizophrenia away

as long as he
was with us
he blessed the
state office of
mental health