If you seek a remedy
outside the balm of oval pill
or a spoon of sour taint
beware the toil on substitutes
a mortal coil could give relief
redress what fate has abused
the broken strive to sustain
with the help of temporal prey

lingering wounds demand too much
beware the bill someone pays
when the check does not care
agony will remunerate
services rendered tap the weak
no pound of flesh is the price
instead the toil taps the heart
wringing emotions from tired stone

one subsists at the end
now the strong in contrast
to the frail forever lost
healer fallen with no net
the weak cannot be the cure
even as they may recline
on the alter as sacrifice
for the selfish consuming love.

© 2018. Sean Green. All Rights Reserved. 20180912.