Addiction is not merely the repetition of pleasure, but a drug's capacity to co-opt the body’s systems — much like a virus — for its own symbiotic, self-perpetuation.
When we conflate this bio-chemical entanglement with the psychological effects of behavior, we mistake appetite for affliction and misdiagnose the very nature of human cravings.
This isn't just "Semantics". It misdirects therapy, moral judgment, and public policy.
Categories:
misdirects, addiction, drug,
Form: Didactic
“That’s all I can stands, ‘cause I can’t stands no more.”
—Popeye, Popeye the Sailor animated series
One episode, “The Fistic Mystic,”
takes place in Badgag, a parody of Bagdad.
Mountebank
Olive Oil,
a snake charmer.
Bluto
wraps around her.
He is a shyster -
a bully
with tricks.
One pop eye
on him -
the sailor
misdirects.
Mischief in Badgag -
a mountebank devil,
picked
the wrong g-oil.
Categories:
misdirects, humor,
Form: Other
I can smell their fear
They head toward me in a mob
Screaming that I have to be one of them
I get small and tight, fitting into a shoebox
The box is kicked high into the air
My Uncle Dave laughs.
He may be the worst of them
I land behind a dumpster without my lid
We will find you! My grandfather screams.
Without seeing him, I know he is wearing overalls.
And white socks with work boots.
I am glad he was not the box kicker
Come out! Come out! Where ever you are!
They are chanting now. I stay still, trying not to breathe.
My cousin Sam sees me and winks. She is wise.
Knows that they can never do more to punish me
than I will do to myself.
She misdirects them to an open field.
The hair stands on the back of my neck,
I feel shivers down my spine,
Wondering if the punishing has begun.
Categories:
misdirects, bullying, fear, feelings, self,
Form: Prose Poetry
You will seek clear direction from others -
meaning never-ending contemplation.
Looking for advice from our dear brothers,
the human heart's fondest expectation.
Misdirects, difficult to make a change:
a basic, true lifetime revelation.
One's mindset ever slowly does rearrange:
creates an internal confrontation.
Sometimes it is too hard to see the line
that will answer every explanation.
Hoping blindly that it will all be fine,
your own journey is the destination.
Choosing wise goals, not gratification:
a most worthy aim and dedication.
Categories:
misdirects, brother, change, heart, hope,
Form: Sonnet