Heather has a Bachelor's Degree in English from Moravian College and has been freelance writing for more than 12 years.

It's been a seemingly long time that's passed

Since that huge miscalculation of a questionable choice

A moment of weakness and poor decision making skills

Mixed with strong and mind altering drugs

Flushed through the blood stream faster than Superman

And his lousy speeding locomotive bullet

Worse than a bad cartoon tattoo and a nose ring

Hard to describe the feeling without you having been there

It's a living breathing monster walking in your shoes

Making choices on your behalf meant to hurt, not help, you.

Just in the truest nick of time, I snapped out of it

Woke up from the feverish nightmare sleepwalking

Into an action that was almost too late to take back

No shaved heads or quickie Las Vegas elopements to my name

Okay, nothing so tabloid friendly, but the near miss was a big one

Disappointed in turning into Ophelia's cousin by a rash turn of events

Shaken and a little stirred that it happened in the first place

Forced myself to gather the strength of an entire army to combat it

Left with a bill that took months to pay back

And a flesh and blood Maker's Mark branding that'll never go away

A reminder to not always listen to the little voice in the back of your head

Especially when it wants you to give into your worst impulses

Survived Hamlet's slings and arrows of outrageous troubles

Existed long enough to realize not all mistakes

Should be permanent ones, unless you make them way

Fighting the good fight on a daily basis much better

Boots on the ground plowing through snow and ice

Making sure not fall face first into Mother Nature's dandruff

Apologized enough for one reckless moment in time

Trying to embrace each day; even the less than stellar ones

Now get to watch all the good movies streaming into my television

Especially the final film by the late great Orson Welles

Seeking help in order to not slip into the same patterns of last year

Realized that the medication wasn't entirely to blame

Becoming a person worth accepting and worthy of someone's love

Actually looking forward to growing older with other half

Even if hair becomes grey; hair dye will make up for it

Thank goodness for small favors.

Comments

Mark Tulin from Santa Barbara, California on November 19, 2018:

I’m sure this poem resonates with all of us mortals. Thanks.