Stop the shaking
You have to stop the shaking
The pills, even though they’re right next to you, they seem unreachable
You reach, struggling to grasp the orange and white bottle with a quaking hand
Your hands, they tremble, as you struggle to open a lid
While your mind screams at you “Make it stop”
Stop the pain
Stop the pain
Stop the pain
You’re not sure which bottle you grabbed
you don’t care
Hydrocodon-Acetaminoph
Naproxen Sodium
They both work
They’ll both help, numb
After several attempts to remove the lid, you succeed
Drag yourself out of bed with a pill or two in your sweating palms
Through the hall and dining room
into the kitchen
Grabbing a bowl
dropping said bowl, your shaking is worse
The pain always makes you shake
Don’t bend down
You won’t be able to get back up
Grab another bowl
Place it on the granite counter
Grind the pill into dust
Add yogurt or applesauce
whatever’s accessible
Force your weakened body to open its mouth
swallow
Don’t throw up
Swallow
Don’t throw up
Breathe
Stumble back to your bedroom
Fall into bed
Fall
Fall into the drugs
Fall into the numbness
Sleep
You stopped the pain
For now.