and if i left the poison in your veins, perhaps that would be better than the leeches draining the tainted blood before it reaches your heart -- torment, to save what you disdain. the best medicine might be to abstain: ignore all these pious consoling speeches from a stoic who can't practice what he preaches -- placebos for the drug to ease your pain. i pray you'll judge me on what i've tried to do, not the results. i feel the soothing balms i give you sting instead, and wince with you, and search my bag of words for some new charm, and wonder if old Hippocrates knew what a hard thing he asked: "first, do no harm."
Copyright 1994 Edward Gaillard. All rights reserved.