Medicine for Thirst and Pain By Luis Cuauhtémoc Berriozábal

I draw a smile on my bruise.

I drink a cold beer for the pain.

I heard it is like medicine for

thirst and pain. I heard that

water is only good for thirst.

I know sometimes pain cannot

be measured. I drink another

cold one. Tonight I think I can

imbibe an entire lake of beer.

The bruise needs another smile

or a shining moon with stars.

I drink another cold one. Soon

I will fall asleep, dream of palaces,

wake up on the wrong side of the bed.

Born in Mexico, Luis lives in California and works in the mental health field in Los Ángeles. His poems have appeared in Ariel Chart, Fearless, Mad Swirl, The Rye Whiskey Review, and Unlikely Stories.