Snake Oil Ingestion
by Odin Roark

Like a giant gel capsule fantasized small,
we open our mouths with Yes! Yes! Yes!
ingest our remedies,
and assume no side effects.

Such bombastic deception
these illusive hollow cures,
served habitually for addiction,
made ever pleasant to the senses
increasingly seductive to the taste,

Initially downed easily
colorful duplicity
spoken,
written,
pronounced,
and absorbed sans fact checks.

Emotionally unfit…

Oblivious of its poison,
many gladly await the next dose,
unaware its insidious curse
churns its brew
in shadowed concealment,
conspiring to rot the I of we
even as fear blithely chases down
caution with another gulp of anger.

“They love me. These are great people”
bellows forth yet more bombastic snake oil remedies
to be swallowed.