(Serena, next-door:)
With our Glock-toting neighbor named Phyllis,
Her depression abating won't thrill us:
She's grown floridly manic;
Still our block need not panic
— While her safety-lock's on she won't kill us.

(Phyllis:)
Two years back, when I registered 'Glock',
I took lithium pills by the clock.
Now, as you can deduce
We prefer to hang loose
And do nighttime patrols of the block.

Take my meds? Simple logic advises;
Now my nights are chock-filled with surprises.
Should those aliens rude
Pry or stalk or intrude,
With my Glock I'll just aim for their eyeses.

(Serena:)
Americans doubly are blessed:
For each issue, both poles are expressed;
That's a great guarantee
In this land of the free,
With your right to bear arms unrepressed.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: The two phases of bipolar illness or manic-depressive disease are manifested in unpredictable time sequence, with considerable disruption to patients, families, and even the surrounding community. Medications, including longterm lithium salts, are often helpful in maintaining equilibrium; however, prescribed drugs may be discontinued by patients who enjoy the feeling of accomplishment and creativity that accompany the hypomanic phase.