The Art of Poisoning

Please allow me to intervene
With a warning most frightening
At any moment you just may be
A hapless victim of poisoning

Arsenic at your picnic
Strychnine in your red wine
You might ingest unknowingly
Something strange in your coffee
At any moment there just may be
A dash of venom in your cup of tea
Hemlock at your potluck
Nightshade in your lemonade

Organs failing one by one
Shallow breaths and then there's none
A pinch of this, a dash of that
Will have you lying lifeless on your back
It only takes a bite
Then you will not last through the night
A dose of this, a drop of that
You will turn green then quickly fade to black

Please be cautious with Hors D'oeuvres
For you don't know what you are served
An ingredient most disturbed
Will send you home in the back of a hearse

Cyanide by the seaside
Mandrake in your pound cake
You might consume mistakenly
Bleach, lead, paint, or mercury
Even fruit can be most deadly
Just one bite and you're six foot deep
Anthrax in your lunch sack
Laudanum in your chewing gum

Organs failing one by one
Shallow breaths and then there's none
A pinch of this, a dash of that
Will have you lying lifeless on your back
It only takes a bite
Then you will not last through the night
A dose of this, a drop of that
You will turn green then quickly fade to black

I plead you heed this cautionary tale
How your life could quickly be derailed
If done correct you certainly won't detect a thing
That's the heart in the art of poisoning
It takes a single blink to stop and think
Before you dive into your food or drink
If you dare to not beware of enemies
They might conceive your final tragedy

Organs failing one by one
Shallow breaths and then there's none
A pinch of this, a dash of that
Will have you lying lifeless on your back
It only takes a bite
Then you will not last through the night
A dose of this, a drop of that
You will turn green then quickly fade to black