Cynthia Bargar

HALDOL

Haldol snakes in my bed, tongue depressor
taped to the rusted metal headboard.

…to keep you from swallowing your tongue,
middle of the night, midst of a seizure…

Like Louie, the Boston Terrier with seizures.
My uncle left him with us in Providence
when he took off for Phoenix.

Like Louie, mouth frother, shatterer of flimsy
tongue depressors. Baffled. Rigid.
I blink. I twitch.