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"
Copyright © Audrey Haick | Year Posted 2013
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