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Snake Oil (Free verse) by Quarton
Snake oil, only a buck?
Seems reasonable enough--
I'll take two bottles though
one is closer to the truth.
You claim it removes warts,
how about broken hearts?
What's that, a hundred proof?
Better make that a case.
Cures insomnia, sleep in a bottle
or a bottle to sleep.
Guaranteed sweet dreams--
instant relief in liquid form.
Really, a cure for myopia?
I'd be able to see you coming
before you arrived
but couldn't read the fine print.
Self-realization included,
still only a buck?
I can save my soul,
just a bottle a day for eternity?
How many would that be?
I mean, things add up,
even at a dollar per day.
Got any volumn discounts?
Half price discount, just for me--
save two bits times two?
Let's see, how much is that,
fifty cents times days in eternity?
Sounds fair but I'm not sure
about the price.
Forever is quite a commitment.
Maybe I'll just sleep on it.
Pretty heavy, this realization talk.
How about a discount
for what I already know?
What! Only a penny for my thoughts?
Are you some kind of smart ass,
an exorbitant price to pay, you say?
A real comedian,
only worth a lousy penny each day.
Let's see, fifty cents a day,
save the same amount--
knowledge of self for free.
Sure sounds like snake oil to me.
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