The Fall
it had indeed become the autumn of his life and he had harshly lost
every spring in his step when his wife began to abuse his good faith
abandoned him by the way side and the side walk was utterly lonely
with the bottle his closest companion he wept an ocean of dry tears
she aimed to take all that he had money children and family home
put up her shutters and seemed to enjoy his rapid downfall and misery
summer sunshine and memories of better times wilted on his tree of life
and all seasons were black like anthracite painted on charcoaled paper
surrender stuck in his thirsty throat like a death rattle sounding demise
his life on an endless loop of agony and apathy like a stuck vinyl record
autopilot towards a downward slope as if he could drown any further
he was so downtrodden that could not even muster anger or revenge
the glass said Jonny Walker but he was not able to proceed any more
and in a last attempt to live for another winter he crushed the chalice
and tattooed a few shards into his skin just in case he would ever forget
that only he could stride on the path ahead one single day at the time
the 24th October with frost in his heart and droplets of blood running
down his wrist he remembered that inevitable change took courage
bravery to conquer himself and resilience to work hard for an outcome
of sobriety and serenity and replaced whiskey with Coke Zero and coffee
changed his habits and mindset and by good fortune found a new lover
one who could think and feel and otherwise as lost as he had become
after rehab they eloped against all advice and threw caution into the sea
swam with dolphins and fed their demons kindness love and compassion
they mixed their blood as good adventures do and stumbled upon gold
metaphorical because in any material sense they both had been robbed
but given instead the gift of a new beginning for the present and future
leaves on oak trees turn golden and red and new buds kindly sprouted
they praised the violet beauty of Jacaranda and took on an indigo crown
not own of perfection but of progress and cross fertile self actualization
every day today is an anniversary of victory over adversity and malice
which they are able to forgive because their tormenters do not matter
his ex wife had a boob job and is eating her fake smile and her words
‘this fling will only last a few months’ but she overplayed her gamble
while the lover’s souls have been augmented by lovemaking and trust
she sits alone in her mansion and counts sums in a sorrowful account
they are seasoned survivors of booze and depressed mental affliction
wear the T-shirt to prove it which they hand painted in orange and pink
inscribed the motto ‘if you don’t dare to walk at the fork of the road to
an unknown but promising destiny you’ll never know what you missed’
a one way ticket awarded them freedom and unimaginable happiness
and the solace that autumn means not falling when real calamity looms
20th August 2020
Copyright © Kai Michael Neumann | Year Posted 2020
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