BEASTLY TALES

PILL POPPERS

There he was languidly loafin’,
Feeling fine after some Ibuprofen.
People consume so many feeling-fine pills
Nowadays, on the slightest pretext, to qualm their ills.
No, the concept here is by no means new,
Only the medication list; it grew.
Around fifty years ago Bex powders were big,
That ideal solution when requiring a thingamajig.
If someone (as they do) did sadly vex,
You told him to “take a powder”, Bex,
For each little dose of this powder was wrapped,
In a small paper envelope, edges overlapped.
Those in need of rapid pain relief,
Be it for headache, or just sore teeth,
Would tip the powder into their gob,
And wash it down with a liquid thing-a-me bob,
Usually water, it must be said,
And, perhaps, a lie-down in bed!

In this day and age, so many pills offer “Rapid Relief”,
“Why put up with anything,” is the current belief,
If one feels sad, floppy or sloppy,
Try an efficient pill derived from a poppy.
Codeine, an alkaloid in opium is often employed.
When one’s physical condition leaves one under-joyed.
When a sedative seems the order of the day,
Panadol will help your work, rest and play.
With discomfort from pain and other things neural,
Ease symptoms, singularly or plural,
By popping a couple of tablets to calm,
Awaiting effects with no cause for alarm.

Doctors used to peddle Valium to calm,
Help one to sleep, relax, a general balm.
Nowadays they are reluctant to provide such a prescription,
Perhaps they have learned it could lead to addiction!
Should you have a tendency to break down weeping.
Because you are an insomniac, no sleeping
A chemist may suggest a phenergan pill,
Quite happy to put the proceeds into the till.