Suzanne Takes You Down

Like the thorny wall around Rapunzel

Keeping prince and love at bay,

I’m surrounded by my anger at the ones who won’t be saved

Excusing and abusing

With lies and pills and bruises

And their promises of change

Which are as empty as the bottles and the cans they gather; hide.

But it’s my guilt that I’m left living that keeps me now inside

The door, if found, acceptance that again when I would have saved you,

Instead, I have survived.

This poem is primarily to my sister, but it also includes all the others in my life who cheated themselves out of happiness through addiction/alcoholism, rejected and hurt those who truly loved them while embracing abusive relationships and then died either at their own hand or from their addictions. Unfortunately in my family and friends there are too many, and a few still trying.