Purple Pill Prayer
By Skye Staniford
Published 14 October 2021
Always soft always strong
That’s the promise
On the table
Dear Saint Sodium Val
Please iron out the spirit's wrinkles
I’m sorry
They are mine!
I've been asked to do this
To my mind
Thiamine
Bread for the soaking brain
B for Clustered
Endone and dusted
Endep for nerve endings
E for escape
Euphoria cleaning
Colouring-in, applying cosmetics
A PLUS for putting on a face
Brave or otherwise
C for Clexane
Enoxaparin
For the broken bloodgates
Where it should say Ablation
It says Abolition
On a Ten Grand Quote
From a hospital in Albion
No joke
Catastrophic clotting disorder
Persistent panic disorder
Borderline and Bipolar
Disorder Disorder Disorder
Don't you just love WORDS?
Avamys, Budesonide, Prednisolone, Ventolin, Seretide, Magnesium
Winfield Gold Rolling Tobacco and a badly inserted cannula
For the busted airbags
What’s a rapihalor when it’s at home cleaning the cleaning products?
What’s a Setraline?
I used to love words
What’s a Citalopram, Escitalopram, Paroxetine, Fluoxetine, Fluvoxamine?
What’s a Pristiq?
I’ll tell you what it isn’t
Saint Joan’s Wort or Sleep
Or care
Or love
Not a good prescription
Or a promise that will keep
The aim of this project is to share lived experiences of mental health via poetry. Therefore, some of the content may potentially trigger some readers. If you require mental health support or assistance, a list of free confidential 24/7 support lines can be found here. You are not alone in your journey.