“A Convention of Fears and Anxieties” © Edward Michael Supranowicz
Life on the Psych Ward
There is no sex on the psych ward,
but there is plenty of heavy petting,
barred windows in the patients’ lounge,
nurses checking vital signs,
butterfly needs stuck in rear-ends,
and acid in paper cups.
The doctor disallows wet dreams
and silence in the quiet room.
Break a rule and the doctor
will put you in four-point retraints.
Scream, and he’ll send you
To the ECT room.
Oh, the inhumanity!
Where’s the chaplain?
I want him to read me my last rites.
I’m tired of this padded cell they call mental health.
Rewire the electrodes in my brain
for better mental health.
Mark Tulin is a former family therapist from Philadelphia. He is a Pushcart nominee and a Best of Drabble. His books are Magical Yogis, Awkward Grace, The Asthmatic Kid and Other Stories, Junkyard Souls, Rain on Cabrillo. His writing credits include The Daily Drunk Magazine, Oddball Magazine, WryTimes, and others.
Edward Michael Supranowicz is the grandson of Irish and Russian/Ukrainian immigrants. He grew up on a small farm in Appalachia. He has a grad background in painting and printmaking. Some of his artwork has recently or will soon appear in Fish Food, Streetlight, Another Chicago Magazine, The Door Is A Jar, The Phoenix, and The Harvard Advocate. Edward is also a published poet who has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize multiple times.