after Shira Erlichman

The side effect of prednisone (is a moon face. The side effect of a moon face is no one will recognize you anymore. The side effect of no one recognizing you is that you’ll question your own existence. The side effect of questioning your own existence is that at some point you’ll no longer care. The side effect of not caring is saying fuck it. The side effect of saying fuck it is bringing home two cats. The side effect of bringing home two cats is needing more cats. The side effect of all these cats is partial healing. The side effect of partial healing is vivid dreams of running down the street again after being paralyzed. The side effect of running down the street in dreams is you’ll believe you can do anything. The side effect of self-belief  is open skies and a full heart. The side effect of open skies and a full heart is a gentle return to yourself. The side effect of a gentle return to yourself is talking in silly voices to the cat and stomping in mud puddles with the ducks. The side effect of all this silliness) is a poem.