Mind

Of late
I am in a fog
induced by medication
and illness
which cloud my mind,
sour my temper,
and distort my eye.
It is supposed
to be mind over matter
but I cannot help
but think
that they quote it
backwards,
when my lack of clarity,
my lack of balance,
my lack of joy,
are so patently
caused by the material
inhabited by disease.
Of all the things I've lost,
I miss my mind the most;
mind you,
I'm not entirely sure
I ever had it in hand,
or if I did,
it never matched up
to what I had in mind.
Although,
I must confess,
I never did mind
being called 'crazy'
unless
this label entailed
a total discount
on all my beliefs,
claims,
and actions.
Mind your manners:
do not make uncouth assertions
or observations or declarations
about the mental state of others,
and never let your manners
slip to the back of your mind;
people will notice,
people will take umbrage,
people will hold it against you -
whether or not they ever say a word
about minding the slight
or about considering it an explicit insult
or intentional oversight.
Then again -
those who harbor
unstated grievances
with others
in their minds,
and act on those
perceived grievances
without ever telling
those others -
such a one who nurses
malice
in their breast
and never comes clean,
might as well be permitting
an open wound to fester
and grow necrotic,
denying medical treatment
as the poison spreads
from the infected injury
up the limbs
to poison the heart
and the mind.