It’s in our nature to rebel
And no cross can hold us down
In the empty church, the pastor screams
We all think it’s quite obscene
Then we tear the place down
Burn every last fucking piece to the ground
My mother told me Jesus would save me
And I thought of this as I put the needle
Deep in my skin and felt utter bliss
Who needs Jesus when you have
Drug heaven that turns into hell?
I emerged from the depths of the underworld
And I turned my back on the junkies and hustlers
Who wanted me to descend deeper, deeper, deeper
Into the hallowed halls of misery
The scars on my arms and blue veins
The sores on my throat show what remains
Of the terrible times I was in chains
And the cold sweats, aches, and pains
When the heroin-god reigned
And controlled my mind
I am better now, thank you
But there’s a beast in my belly
And it’s one day at a time
Trying to avoid the crime and grime
Of addiction and affliction
And the fast yet slow decline
Of a mind in its prime
(Photo by Peter Herrmann on Unsplash)
You’ve come a long way. You should be proud of that.
A powerful and honest poem. 🙂
Thank you, Terveen! I was never hooked on heroin, but I am in recovery for booze. I wrote this because I’ve known recovery drug addicts, so this was my empathizing.
Could feel the personal touch. Addiction of any kind is tough. Good for you, Nick. 🙂
This is very powerful.
Thanks Ashley!
I agree with Ashley: this is powerful — and gritty and hopeful. After reading the rough stanzas, I was glad to read the last stanza with a hopeful recovery.
Thanks Dave 😊 recovery can be a rough road, but there’s usually light at the end of the tunnel