Battling Addiction

No one knew his background, he did not speak of family Not even the one left, whom he felt was a burden His younger sister with whom he’d been out of touch Financially, he was doing alright, handsome and perfectly fit Friends wondered why he wasn’t dating When asked, he’d merely laugh it off If they only knew the burden he bore, haunted by his crippling addiction A demon that had seized his body now hungered for his soul Making its lustful demands at will by day or night At first he seemed to keep his secret well, appearing as, just one of the guys While apart, he rode the subway daily With eyes of a hunter he surveyed A different girl he took each time, In his home or some dark street corner When he had no access to girls, alone, he’d easily play “solitaire” Or browse the magazines and internet Secrets like acorns take a while to grow, his were no different; just biding time Til the day of discovery arrived unannounced Hidden files on the office hard drive Confronted, he walked away in shame, and some ray of light seared his mind At home he bagged and trashed his toys Especially his favorite, the laptop Temptation came fiercer and with maddening force, took him on a binge That night he sank to the lowest belly of the beast Ignoring his sister’s desperate call for help When he'd had his fill of a sordid, assortment of lust, a flicker of conscience emerged from within Off he ran in the cold, pouring rain to find his sister alone Alone, in the bath with her wrists cut; her precious life slowly ebbing away It was mercy which kept her alive, barely, and by her hospital bed he sat for three days! Later, outside her room in the parking lot as he left, beyond broken he fell upon his knees And through his tears and the rain, he cried out loud , “God have mercy!” That’s how a man, bankrupt; without love or self worth gained a second chance... At a most pivotal time in his life; in need of redemption The shackles of addiction laid broken in torrent rain...free once more to be himself. ~*~ 02/25/13 Inspired by the HBO movie, "Shame"