Cherry Owens' Ode to Prednisone

This is a poem written by my aunt Cherry, recently deceased. She lived 46 years with type-1 diabetes. This poem was written after a pancreas transplant when they give transplant recipients a very potent cocktail of anti-rejection drugs, including the steroid Prednisone.

Ode to Prednisone

Cherry Owens 1998-01-26 (post-transplant)

I think I know what "speed" is like,
Addicted to the bone
I fly around the ceiling lights --
I'm hooked on prednisone

My fingers shake, my eyelids twitch,
I'm in the twilight zone
I have a rash upon my knees
Yep! I'm on prednisone

I laugh and cry all in one breath;
My temper fits have grown
My family roll their eyes and say,
"It must be prednisone!"

I lie awake for hours at night
By dawn my lists have grown
I cram so much into each day
It must be prednisone

I wash the floor; we eat good meals
The laundry's never strown
I write a zillion Thank You notes
The engine's prednisone

Each tiny detail has my gaze
A paper clip alone
Must be disposed of properly
That tyrant prednisone

I thought that I would read a lot
My stack of books has grown
But vision's blurry -- reading's hard,
It's naughty prednisone

My hair is brittle, so no bleach
My "highlights" have all grown
I know it's true blondes have more fun
But I'm on prednisone

I never had heartburn before,
Though I've heard friends who moan
There's Maalox at my bedside close
'Cause I'm on prednisone

But is there nothing good to say?
Or can I only moan?
There are but two goods I'll admit
About this prednisone

I sort of have a checkered past
I've been depression prone
I'm up so high I can't get down
While I'm on prednisone

To get a new replacement part
From someone quite unknown
Is such a gift and sacred trust
I'll take the prednisone