It has history
Bitter like the taste
Born in Canada
In the form of a paste
After a sickness killed twenty million
Following the first world war
One man had an idea
For the rich and the poor
His name was William Buckley
A pharmacist established in Toronto
Who needed a cure for cough
He got down to business pronto
It is an odd mixture
Consulting of pine-needle oil
Ammonium carbonate and menthol
With irish moss extract from the soil
Take one spoonful
Ten milliliters to be exact
The taste lasts a while
After going down the hatch
For a moment no taste occurs
The it kicks in
Most horrible on the tongue
The flavor remains grim
I am currently sick
As I write this poem
Took Buckley’s a few minutes ago
I hope to soon roam
I’ve heard it works well
To get rid of a cold
It has worked for a century
A story that I have just told
