I’ve been awarded a degree
in withdrawl
thanks to nurses and doctors
who monitor night and day
the first stage of
my recovery
though yet to be granted
my diploma
that may or may not come
in the second half of the process
progress here
as on the outside
one day at a time

and as I move forward
I’m also moving back
to a time
when caught up in the fever
of chasing girls and rock n’ roll
I chose a less travelled path
fraught with danger
but also knowledge
to be used at a later time

and beyond that
to an even earlier stage
barely memorable
when there was innocence
chemical and otherwise
pristine and beautiful
and also naivety
as I searched for the answers of
what was wrong with me
why I was different from other kids

I’ve lost my naivety and innocence
though a new clarity slowly gained
painfully at times
and although life
will never be the same
this time it comes with wisdom

the nurses pamper me
preparing for the challenges
that lie ahead
as my mother did
all those years before

in a few months
if I survive
I turn thirty-two

© 1989
Revised © 2018

830 hits as of January 2024

06/22/2018

Author's Note: * Assessment and Stabilization Unit, Royal Ottawa Psychiatric Hospital.

Posted on 06/22/2018
Copyright © 2024 Chris Sorrenti