“Speak to your medical provider.”

But they don’t wear the skin I’m in.

They think me an onion,

a few words peeling back layers,

slapping bandages on symptoms

without any real answers.

They never reach the core.

They wouldn’t make money if they did.

“Talk to your doctor.”

One pill will give me smiles and

happily-ever-afters

or so the commercials say,

but they’re really telling you to

medicate every little flaw into

a numbing oblivion with pills for

every itch, like

you’re an ATM machine.

“Consult with your doctor before using.”

Because I can’t make decisions on my own,

every tablet is a dive into fear,

every conscious question dismissed

for hypochondria and “too much WebMD.”

But they don’t wear the skin I’m in.

They wouldn’t make money if they did.

You’re an ATM machine:

consult with your doctor before using.