Paris, March 14th, 1932

Smashed the safety glass in the door

Shattering shards fall to the floor

Alarming the nursing staff

Calls for security

Screams echo in the halls

Frightened parents shelter their children

Up here on the 12th floor

I stand on the side of the bed

Next to the large glass windowpane

With both hands I’m griping an IV pole

Holding it parallel to the vinyl tile floor

Ready to find freedom

Ready to do nothing

Four men in white uniforms

Barged into my hospital room

Hurled me onto the bed

Haloperidol injections in my legs

Confined me in tight restraints

On the innocent white bed sheets

Arms bound

Legs bound

Thought I was living the dream

Had to break out

Had to find out what it’s all about

Audubon Ballroom across the street

Every working man got a corner coffee in their hand

tic tac breath mints lined up nicely

Control the traffic lights

Illustrate the shadows

Deliveries made to the hospital

Didn’t see that water fountain in the hallway yesterday

Went for a deep sleep in the middle of winter

Woke up to trees budding

Morning birds welcoming Spring

The new Viper

Relaxed and playful newscasters

More hair under my armpits

The Doctor having me draw dots

Draw more dots

Draw dots

Dots

Learn fast and cheek the pills

Keep three nails in the wooden door available

Hide your deodorant

Whisper about the dead

Shed light under the covers

Strangers do the Thorazine shuffle

Count, Track, Note, Observe, Deliver

Broken glass on the shag rug

Mirror Mirror on the wall

Repetition is here

This infection

No hallucination

This unknown

Molded me

Framed me

Built the skeleton that holds me upright

Shuts the closet door

Filled with secrets but not nightmares

Guy helped me 

The King helped me

Little Rich helped me

With pencil in hand

Drawing pad at my side

Here I am

To declare victory

Decades later

© 2025 David Greg Harth

25.04.27.09.34.55@130BklynNYC