Hot Pepper

I tried a hot pepper

On my coworker’s prompt,

How was I to know

My tongue would be swamped

With horrors so spicy

A fire of agony.

I coughed up the fumes

and I felt rather dragon-y.

It settled deep in my mouth,

Burned my teeth and my gums

My heart started beating

Like an out-of-sync drum.

But it didn’t stop there,

It smoldered for hours.

Even my sug'ry lemonade

Could not stop its spice powers.

That blasted hot pepper’s

Bent on giving me grief,

But both my nostrils are clear now,

So I guess that’s a relief.

If you’d ask me to rate it,

It’s a zero of ten.

If you’re e’er asked to try one,

I would not recommend.