Valley Of The Tramadols Poem by Francis Poole

She was born into a flood time of drugs.
Demerol, Milltowns, Vals, Oxys, Dilaudid, Vics.
It's not drugs, she said. I'm not taking drugs.
When I'm tired I move slower and slur my words.
When I was young I had TB and lost half my lung capacity.
So it may be from lack of oxygen. When I'm tired.
I wish you wouldn't accuse me.
But you don't seem right. You don't seem yourself.
Last week you fell and cut your head.
I was just tired.