No Remedy Poem by Daniel Brick

There are days when getting up is no
remedy. So why bother? The door won't
open. When I push through, I slip
on the muddy floor and smash my head.

In class, the teacher startles me:
'OK, that's good. Now get all the vomit
out. Don't be squeamish.' Then, he goes
to another student. I cradle my smashed

head. It's going to be a month of hospital
visits. Will it be as bad as before? Much
worse, my hurting head says. Already the news
tells us, the decent fighter lost. He hurts

bad. Slick men with gold in their teeth
targeted him. He fell like mist. What had
he hoped to remedy today? And now puny rain
falls where he fell, not far from where I fell.

You know its stench - There's no remedy.

(based on an idea by Vincent Poson)