Dialogue with “Howl” / Another kind of prayer
Small-town slumber coexisting with addict spastic daybreak
& last week’s Santa Claus with knife still on the loose.
Ah, this life of greed and desperation! No angelic elevation
after all, only hungry ghosts roaming 4 am streets, sick
with their own karma, which really only means ‘action’,
and searching
for whatever means of momentary happiness may
come their way, what the rest of us would term
illusion
at best, these once-infants in masks of suffering,
these once-laughing grandchildren
& former friends
who now rarely walk in daylight,
who do not dare look you in the eye,
who get arrested again and again
Oh, Beat stupidity, romanticizing Hell!
Blazing blade of Wisdom, strike us all and carve us
into our own true image, magnificent
laughter erupting, tears
of joy spilling
into all.
Amen
~Taigaku
Dialogue with “Howl” / Another kind of prayer
Dear Taigaku ~
I've worked in different capacities and environments with varying-drug-type addicts. Though certainly reminiscent of heroin, in its way, this screams out crack cocaine. Excellent depiction, of the outward appearance, as well as what's going on inside this desperate and sad world. It brings to mind some of the writings of addicts in recovery. You never cease to amaze me.
~ Elizabeth
I've worked in different capacities and environments with varying-drug-type addicts. Though certainly reminiscent of heroin, in its way, this screams out crack cocaine. Excellent depiction, of the outward appearance, as well as what's going on inside this desperate and sad world. It brings to mind some of the writings of addicts in recovery. You never cease to amaze me.
~ Elizabeth
Dear Elizabeth~
Heroin was what was on my mind. People I see every week, more or less, and others who almost nobody ever sees, but who you know are there, behind the locked doors of run-down houses.
Crack cocaine isn't something that's on the streets here (fortunately!), but the last month or so my home town has been flooded with heroin, and the need for quick cash has resulted in an unprecedented number of robberies and break-ins (hence 'Santa with a knife', an actual episode last Thursday...)
I've seen the smiles of some of them, known their conversation. People I say hi to in the street. And I've seen them ghost-like, haunted; some aggressive, near psychotic, tortured by their own body/mind.
Santa, sing me a song...
~Taigaku
Heroin was what was on my mind. People I see every week, more or less, and others who almost nobody ever sees, but who you know are there, behind the locked doors of run-down houses.
Crack cocaine isn't something that's on the streets here (fortunately!), but the last month or so my home town has been flooded with heroin, and the need for quick cash has resulted in an unprecedented number of robberies and break-ins (hence 'Santa with a knife', an actual episode last Thursday...)
I've seen the smiles of some of them, known their conversation. People I say hi to in the street. And I've seen them ghost-like, haunted; some aggressive, near psychotic, tortured by their own body/mind.
Santa, sing me a song...
~Taigaku
Dear Taigaku ~
Your description is very apt. If crack should appear, it will be even moreso. The personae of the person becomes palpably hyped, in and of itself, and violence more prevalent. I hope you don't see it. However, where heroin appears, crack will probably be soon behind. Very scarey, the Santa with a knife.
In many years past [approx. 33], I became friends with a couple heroin addicts [prior to knowing they were, of course], and then caught in that middle ground of my idealism, I didn't want to end the friendship "just because of" that....and took a few rides with them to Detroit slums at 4 AM, and got an eyeful, up close, of that desperation. It all prompted me to write a paper, on that topic [including all the predictable outcomes], for a college course, where the only thing I had to do was write a paper [no classes] for credit. Got an "A" for the paper/course and had them read it. They agreed....."Yep, that's just how it is," but made no difference whatsoever in their behaviour. I finally abandoned the friendship, in my own best interests. Some pretty high-risk behaviour on my own part, in retrospect.
I hope you're able to stay out of harm's way. It can turn the nature of a sleepy, little town inside out.
~ Elizabeth
Your description is very apt. If crack should appear, it will be even moreso. The personae of the person becomes palpably hyped, in and of itself, and violence more prevalent. I hope you don't see it. However, where heroin appears, crack will probably be soon behind. Very scarey, the Santa with a knife.
In many years past [approx. 33], I became friends with a couple heroin addicts [prior to knowing they were, of course], and then caught in that middle ground of my idealism, I didn't want to end the friendship "just because of" that....and took a few rides with them to Detroit slums at 4 AM, and got an eyeful, up close, of that desperation. It all prompted me to write a paper, on that topic [including all the predictable outcomes], for a college course, where the only thing I had to do was write a paper [no classes] for credit. Got an "A" for the paper/course and had them read it. They agreed....."Yep, that's just how it is," but made no difference whatsoever in their behaviour. I finally abandoned the friendship, in my own best interests. Some pretty high-risk behaviour on my own part, in retrospect.
I hope you're able to stay out of harm's way. It can turn the nature of a sleepy, little town inside out.
~ Elizabeth
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