mithridatism

The word “Mithridatism,” per Merriam-Webster, is defined as “tolerance to a poison acquired by taking gradually increased doses of it.” This curious word is derived from the name of one of Rome's other foes, Mithridates, who did just that. - The Irony of the Man Who Made Himself Immune To Poison, Ripley's Believe It or Not!

***

as i sit here,

laughing and joking,

as if poison isn't in my veins,

i wonder when i took in the first drop.

was it when i tasted your drink in the middle of starbucks?

the first note playing from the car's radio on our first girl's night out?

the meal you paid for at one of your favorite restaurants?

so many small things where it could have slipped in,

none of them bad,

except they masked the taste and the effects,

so much so i took in more and more,

slowly killing myself at your pleasure,

that when i finally noticed,

it felt too late.

i thought i was immune,

but i might not be anymore,

because unlike mithridates,

something is going to die from the overdose.

now i'm left to wonder

will it be me or us?

***

Author's Note: I was having such a hard time with this challenge, because I just couldn't myself in the right mindset. I just wasn't feeling very lost-ish, and I was ready to call it quits with the quickly approaching deadline. It wasn't until I was watching an episode of Elementary, a show I biasedly recommend, when they started used this word, mithridatism, and thankfully explained it. It then sparked a memory of when an old friendship I've written poems before, specifically a moment soon after I realized how toxic it actually was.

Now, hopefully, I'm not too late in submitting it.