(Change of Life on) Synarel®

Seven days into it I don’t know
myself. Temples tight, lips cracked,
I snap at friends, stiff one cabbie

because he drives too slow, another
for his offer to father himself my child.
Hot flashes, cold waves. Knuckles,

knees give way. Breath, armpits,
feet reek. Teeth ache, nose bleeds
but gums do not, as they should

this time of the month, bloated with
blood that will not come despite cramps
that start and stop. The doctor

promises this will reverse itself
although the drug is so new how can
anyone know? Hair goes limp, falls

out. Making love hurts. I avoid
people, insult my husband. One sniff
in each nostril morning and night,

then waking at 3 a.m. in my sweat-
drenched half of our double bed.
And the terrible thirst.