I

loved

.

y

o

u

.

more . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

loved

.

y

o

u

.

more . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

loved

.

y

o

u

.

more . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

than

anyone . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

than

anywhere . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

than

anything . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

before . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

loved

.

y

o

u

.

more . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

loved

.

y

o

u

.

more . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

than

anyone . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

than

anywhere . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

than

anything . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

before . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

f

o

r

–

–

–

I

would

climb

.

i

n

t

o

.

the

highs

.

o

f

.

even

.

t

h

e

.

darkest,

.

d

e

e

p

e

s

t

.

dismal

skies . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

would

climb

.

i

n

t

o

.

the

highs . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

would

climb

.

i

n

t

o

.

the

highs . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

would

climb

.

i

n

t

o

.

the

highs

.

o

f

.

even

.

t

h

e

.

darkest,

.

d

e

e

p

e

s

t

.

dismal

skies . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

mile,

–

–

after

mile,

–

–

after

mile,

–

–

after

mile . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

time,

–

–

after

time,

–

–

after

time,

–

–

after

time . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

would

climb . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

would

climb . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

would

climb . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

f

o

r

–

–

–

those

smiling

lies . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

would

climb

.

i

n

t

o

.

the

sighs . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

o

f

–

–

–

superficial

sunshine . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

would

climb

.

i

n

t

o

.

the

sighs . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

would

climb

.

i

n

t

o

.

the

sighs . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

would

climb

.

i

n

t

o

.

the

sighs . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

o

f

–

–

–

superficial

sunshine . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

day,

–

–

after

night,

–

–

after

day . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

night,

–

–

after

day,

–

–

after

night . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

even

during

–

–

those

times

–

–

when

I

waited

.

o

n

.

stand-by . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

would

climb

.

f

o

r

.

those

lies . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

would

climb

.

f

o

r

.

those

lies . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

would

climb

.

f

o

r

.

the

lies,

–

–

–

that

smile,

–

–

behind

–

–

blinding

aisles . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ they

smile

–

–

behind

–

–

blinding

aisles . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

that

design

–

–

a

life

–

–

full

.

o

f

.

wintertime . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ they

design

–

–

a

life

–

–

full

.

o

f

.

wintertime . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

which

slides,

.

a

n

d

.

slips,

.

a

n

d

.

slides . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ it

slides,

.

a

n

d

.

slips,

.

a

n

d

.

slides . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

b

u

t

–

–

–

still

likes

.

t

o

.

climb . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

It

still

likes

.

t

o

.

climb . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

It

still

likes

.

t

o

.

climb . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

It

still

likes

.

t

o

.

climb . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

into

.

t

h

e

.

highs . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

into

.

t

h

e

.

lies . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

into

.

t

h

e

.

sighs . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

o

f

–

–

–

superficial

sunshine.

Reflection: This is a personal struggle-themed poem where the affected party has an addiction problem which he/she cannot seem to overcome. Part of the problem is that he/she focuses more on the “fun” and “excitement” of the more appetizing moments of the initial experience instead of the stress, anxiety, pain, and damage it causes after those initial, appetizing moments fade. I started thinking about how a love of drugs or addictions could be similar to love in a relationship and wrote the poem starting out with this idea in mind. I wrote this poem by listening to “Medicine” by Gus Dapperton which I played repeatedly in the background at low volume to create the “moodset” for the poem. And it worked well. If you listen to the song at low volume while reading this poem, you might better get the “feel” of it.