Lolly Logic
My poem Lolly Logic was published in the last edition of Ripples Magazine (Ed. 17). I worked in the alcohol and drug field for ever a decade before seeing the error of my ways and getting out while still in one piece. It comes back to haunt me, however, and occasionally I find myself involved in the heated debates that arise on how to deal with the pervasive problems of alcohol and other drug use. This is a reposting of my poem.
For my American and French online friends – the word lolly means sweets or candy (la logique des bonbons) in Australia
Lolly Logic
A bit tired?
coffee, tea
of course!
~
pain?
paracetamol, codeine, morphine
good idea
~
ADHD?
amphetamine, methylphenidate
must say yes
~
giving birth?
gas, pethidine, epidural
better say yes
~
depressed?
zoloft, lexapro, prozac
yes, yes, yes
~
anxious?
valium, librium, xanax
without a doubt
~
can’t sleep?
temazepam, nitrazepam, midazolam
no worries
~
keep sleeping?
methylphenidate, sodium oxybate
good idea
~
bipolar?
lithium carbonate, carbomazepine
you’d better say yes
~
schizophrenic?
haloperidol, chlorpromazine, risperidone
we’ll make you say yes
~
want to party?
alcohol
of course!
~
want to relax?
cigarettes
just say no
~
too much pain?
heroin, morphine, oxycodone
just say no
~
feeling on edge?
downers
just say no
~
need a lift?
uppers
just say no
~
sad or depressed?
ice, speed
just say no
~
chronic anxiety?
cannabis, hashish
just say no
~
sleep deprived?
benzos, hypnotics
just say no
~
sleep advantaged?
crystal meth
just say no
~
want to party?
all of the above
just say no!
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Gabrielle
Let’s just say you sure hit that nail on its head.
Yeah–drugs–legal and illegal for all our ‘woes’. Yeah, the business of drug dealing on multiple levels. Medication as ‘the’ option of choice–who chooses. The power of saying no.
waves to you
Thanks for that – a society saturated with drugs. It is the hypocrisy that gets to me. We are supposed to drug up our kids, mentally ill etc., to keep them manageable and then get upset when they decide that using illicit drugs has some benefits.
Very clever & pertinent. Mind if I send it on to friends that would appreciate it?
No problemo! – I’ll email it to you, but don’t forget to direct them to the blog as well. Cheers Gabrielle
Hey, had to come back and toss this your way because your poem kept nagging at me and then I remembered ‘why’–Have you read Steven Morgan’s “the wind never lies” ???? It’s about being medicated and, and well check it out, it’s long–but, I think very very insightful and self aware and brutally honest. ooo I ought to have brought a link…I’ll be back!
http://www.vermontrecovery.com/files/Download/TheWindNeverLies.pdf
okay, the url is to a pdf verison online offered on Steven Morgan’s site–btw, he’s got some great photos and links too…and, sorry, I am NOT at all mentally or geek organized this morning at all…can’t seem to hold more than one thing in my mind at a time…um. okay, here I go again..
http://bipolarblast.wordpress.com/
“beyond meds” is the blog name and it’s not being updated as of just recently but it’s online in order to serve as an information resource. It also has a version of “the wind never lies” which is where I found it–for totally other reasons of interest. Still I found myself fascinated with what the blogger was dealing with in regard to being medicated for so long. It’s not like I was unaware of the practice of drugging the bejeesus out of people–but –well, it was an eye-opener in several ways. And Morgan’s piece just really –well, it really hit in connection to what a friend who, from the experience of a mental health professional, has said for years—western means of psychology do NOTHING for Native American people’s issues. I think the meds issue makes it clear that such means do nothing for anyone’s true issues–unless they’re suffering from some terrible bio-chemical chaos that there’s no other way to get some relief from. Ahhh and I’m noticing how I’ve run off at the fingertips. Um, okay, hope this is of interest to someone along the way.
Peace.
Thanks for the link – it looks really interesting. I agree that western psychology and psychiatry are not helpful for Native American peoples issues. Mental health issues always need to be looked at from a cultural perspective. Cheers Gabrielle.
The best summary for drug use I have seen although it might not catch on at Medical School :)
Thanks Carolyn – it’s also a dig at the alcohol and drug field (the just say no campaigns etc.,)- get’s a bit depressing working for over a decade in this area and getting absolutely no-where (or backwards even).
I think the hypocrisy is a big part of the drug problem. Prohibition has never worked, new solution is what we need, a little creativity. That is a very cool poem.
As a society we want to use drugs of all sorts – we pay the price for that desire. In general I agree with you about prohibition. Thanks Mr Squires!
That is a thought provoking poem, Gabrielle.
Problem
Solution
Norm
Social Conscience?
Suppress, repress
Social con science
Maybe that explains the circularity? Or maybe no.
Stop swearing at me boy – you’re doing my head in with your conundrums – ha,ha,ha!!! Seriously – the problem, solution, norm is good; your haiku even better – someone’s getting conned that’s for sure (‘and it ain’t me baby, no, no, no, it ain’t me babe’ – Bob D.). Thanks Brad for sharing.
Excellent poem, and good food for thought, too — the drug debate reeks of hypocrisy and double standards — absolutely infuriating. No logic in it at all, and love the irony of your poem’s title!
Yes, absolutely infuriating and the carnage continues.
thanks for the explanation (lollie), very cool poem Gabrielle!
You’re welcome Benedicte – you must tell me the French for sweets/lollies?
translating is tricky, even for simple things like sweets. I would say in French ” douceurs” . In the dictionary it is “sucreries”, (sucre means sugar)…so it depends.
Thanks Ben – What about bonbon?
bonbon is candy. It is a good image too, “la logique des bonbons”
Great – we’ve worked it out. When I said sweets, I meant candy – I forgot that’s what American’s call lollies. It is so easy to misinterpret with this translation thing.
[...] Thanks also, Gabrielle Bryden, for inspiring me to think more about this issue with your brilliant poem Lolly-Logic [...]
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