Formula at the Pharmacy

When you’re a pharmacist
you don’t ask customers
how they’re doing.
You know from the meds
they pick up
how they’re doing
and you know
from the new one
the doc just called in
this time they may
have a big problem.

So you talk about
what your customers
want to talk about.
Might be the weather
or the score last night.
But if they ask questions
about their new med,
things can get difficult.
You don’t know what
the doc has told them.

So you tell them it’s
a good medication
you’ve seen people
take over the years
but you don’t say
you’ve seen people
take it for maybe
a month or two and
not live long enough
to use all the refills.
No need to kill
the conversation.
You’re not the doctor.
You count the pills.

Donal Mahoney, nominated for Best of the Net and Pushcart prizes, Donal Mahoney has had poetry and fiction published in North America, Europe, Asia and Africa. Some of his work can be found by clicking here…