Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine. Vol. 141, Nos. 3 & 4. Whole Nos. 858 & 859, March/April 2013

A lady, well thought-of and nice,

Looks into the pharmacist’s eyes.

“What I would like

Is some cyanide,”

She says, to his surprise.

The pharmacist reserves judgment,

But, being quite unaccustomed,

Asks why she would like

To buy cyanide.

She replies, “To murder my husband.”

Shocked to the core, his face is a mask.

Phoning the cops will be his next task.

“Ma’am, I’m unwilling

To condone any killing.

I won’t sell the poison you ask.”

“I see your point, sir,” she hisses,

Then in her handbag she fishes.

After a mo’

Hands him a photo

Of her husband in bed with his missus.

This is no fiction, that fits the description

Of the man his wife met with, the dark-eyed Egyptian!

He leans over the aisle

And says, with a smile,

“You didn’t tell me you had a prescription.”