You

.

cause

.

y

o

u

r

.

own

.

pain . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

You

.

create

.

y

o

u

r

.

own

.

shame . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

s

t

i

l

l

–

–

–

you

.

drag

.

m

e

.

in . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ you

.

drag

.

m

e

.

in,

–

–

just

.

t

h

e

.

same . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

f

o

r

–

–

–

everyone

.

y

o

u

.

know:

!must pay!

–

–

–

!!must pay!!

–

–

–

!!!must pay!!!

–

–

–

!!!!must pay!!!!

–

–

–

.

.

.

f

o

r

–

–

–

each

.

a

n

d

.

every

.

.

repeating

.

mistake . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ leaving

.

all

.

t

h

e

.

others

.

t

o

.

worry

.

w

i

t

h

.

wait,

.

.

f

o

r

.

.

the

.

next

.

cycle . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

o

f

–

–

–

repeating

.

yesterdays . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ of

repeating

.

reasons

.

why,

.

.

t

h

e

y

.

.

must

.

t

a

k

e

.

center

.

stage,

–

–

within

.

t

h

e

.

same,

–

–

recurring,

–

–

doomsday

–

–

play . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ within

.

t

h

e

.

same,

–

–

recurring,

–

–

doomsday

–

–

play . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

page,

–

–

after

page,

–

–

after

page,

–

–

after

page,

–

–

after

page.

Reflection: This was a personal struggle-themed poem that I wrote back in May of 2002 where the affected party is the friend or family member of someone who flirts with temptation and repeatedly gets drawn into the depths of the darkness and chaos it brings – being addicted to the “ride” into what is likely to be a lifelong, all-consuming struggle against the forces of temptation, addiction, compulsion, and distraction in whatever flavors they might be (drugs, alcohol, sex, gambling, obsessions, etc). This is one of the few poems I have ever written on this subject focused on the helpers themselves – helpers that can be deeply affected by the turmoil, chaos, and setbacks created by the people they love who repeatedly suffer from temptations, addictions, compulsions, and distractions in life.