The poppy certainly has a rap,
For the drugs like opium,
And, history has it on the map,
Of tales told from a podium.
Small competition from growing grain,
For those living close to poverty.
Can the wheat crop truly life sustain,
Or, is it just a novelty?
Wheat may yield bread for life,
Rich in true nourishment,
Consumed without a laboring strife,
Giving growth and encouragement.
But opium has a mass draw,
Leaving a den full of stupor,
Affirming man has a fall,
And, cursed again in his future.
Francis Conlon is a retired and recovering teacher. For the past 20 years, he has worked as a seasonal river ranger and boat inspector at Yampa River State Park in northwest Colorado. He has published in the local Valley Voice and in Westward Quarterly. He currently lives in Salt Lake City, Utah.