Vinnie's cough started out as a tickle at the back of his throat
His first reaction was to deny he was getting a cough
The next morning his throat was so sore and swollen he couldn't swallow
The glands on his neck were Jerry Lewis puffy
Though his thoughts were foggy he was able to remember why he was in Portugal
Vinnie stood from the bed and almost collapsed when his fevered blood followed gravity's cues
And rushed downward like electricity to ground
He regained his balance and briefly envied the laws of physics
Before the world in front of him turned from colorless fireworks to black fuzz
Vinnie knew he had died but was no longer welcomed in the world of senses
His body was discovered two days later after the guests across the hall
Complained of a smell they described as a cross between rancid Parmesan
And cat farts
The hotel housekeeper rifled through his belongings before alerting the authorities
She scored a couple one-hundred dollar bills from his money belt
And a bottle of strange looking prescription pills that caught the light
In such a way that it was impossible to discern their true color
She looked at Vinnie with pity because she knew he was not blameless for his death
Yet she felt kind of bad for him anyway
He wasn't a bad looker (other than being dead and having a Jerry Lewis puff-neck)
She popped one of the vibrant, color-confused pills in her mouth and swallowed it dry
As she walked down to the lobby she felt a tickle at the back of her throat
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