Emergency Crocodile Survival [rev.] Poem by Margaret Alice Second

Discovered a new sweetener half the cost of the real
McCoy to be toxic; seemed chocolate was getting me
down but all the time it was this beastie, every cup of
sweetened tea weakened me, switched off my brain
‘til emergency crocodile survival functions only were
left - wandered about in a daze

Felt better after a fresh vegetable meal but destroyed
it ingesting more sweetener - growing too listless to
tackle challenges faced, thinking I have pellagra or a
deep mental disturbance, losing contact with reality &
sleeping just about everywhere, on my desk at work
(what a shame to be caught snoring!) , home in front

Of TV, quite flabbergasted small offences like tasting
icing & one cupcake had me nearly pass out; realised
today each sweetened cup of morning tea caused me
to reel and I ascribed it to other things - thank heaven
it's not an unforgivably fatal illness, so away with thee,
evil sweetener, let me be free

I've no time for this hundred-year-sleep-syndrome, I
want energy to make the best of life, not sink into the
mire of a reptilian past…