ALTERED STATES by Tom Lyford
(previous title: Medicine for Melancholy)
Cousin to the copier…
I commiserate with
office machines when
red warning lights
flash 'TONER: LOW!'
(I know how this feels).
My warning lights
often flash
'SEROTONIN: LOW!'
A toner-deficient copier
produces mere spotty outlines
of intended concepts.
Serotonin-deficient, my
output drops to barely
perfunctory monosyllables.
But somebody always goes to
SUPPLY to pop a brand new
cartridge into the slot.
I always go
to The Cabinet and
pop my capsule.
The copier prints
state-of-the-art graphics...
Me? I am gregarious!