Smoking and Drinking Vol. II
By Keith Kareem Williams
Where do I begin to wash away my sins? I'm sure I left a few everywhere I've been. I swear there are days when I feel so tired and to get these hands clean, more than water is required. You can't survive where I'm from without dirt, blood and unpleasant deeds scribed on the list of things that haunt you. There are occasions when I have to deal with what's due and there are things I'm forced to face, even when I don't want to. Sometimes I'm still amazed by how they've found ways to bottle fluid to chase away the monsters in all flavors, to suit every taste. Dark or clear liquor, each and every one designed to get you there…which most of the time is anywhere but here…wherever "here" is at the time. We all need escape and I know I need mine. Unfortunately I can only make moves in my mind because it's still impossible to move through time.
She seeks humor all day but gets serious when she smokes. Her world flips upside-down as she floats on the opposite side of the jokes. There are so many heavy things on her soul that through the course of her day, she fights to keep control, just so she doesn't fold. Uncomfortably, she laughs at her past to mask the fact that the chuckles won't last. Now there's smoke in her lungs and she just wants to go numb. If you had been through what she has gone through, you might not have lasted long. She meditates and contemplates escape, being here or being gone. She dies a little every day and sometimes it feels like her time here is cruelly prolonged. If you had to wrestle with her ghosts, I doubt that many people could be that strong.
Now we're in the same room with both of our pains combined and in attendance. I'm on my side of the bed full of liquor and she's on her end full of smoke. She offers me a pull and I pass my glass so she can take a sip. We slide closer together and for that moment, nothing else exists. We take everything off and prepare to let the entire world slip…so far away from us that nothing really matters. Now there's no fear, no shame, no pain, no guilt and no past. Who knows if this will last but for now…there is ONLY this!
By Keith Kareem Williams
Where do I begin to wash away my sins? I'm sure I left a few everywhere I've been. I swear there are days when I feel so tired and to get these hands clean, more than water is required. You can't survive where I'm from without dirt, blood and unpleasant deeds scribed on the list of things that haunt you. There are occasions when I have to deal with what's due and there are things I'm forced to face, even when I don't want to. Sometimes I'm still amazed by how they've found ways to bottle fluid to chase away the monsters in all flavors, to suit every taste. Dark or clear liquor, each and every one designed to get you there…which most of the time is anywhere but here…wherever "here" is at the time. We all need escape and I know I need mine. Unfortunately I can only make moves in my mind because it's still impossible to move through time.
She seeks humor all day but gets serious when she smokes. Her world flips upside-down as she floats on the opposite side of the jokes. There are so many heavy things on her soul that through the course of her day, she fights to keep control, just so she doesn't fold. Uncomfortably, she laughs at her past to mask the fact that the chuckles won't last. Now there's smoke in her lungs and she just wants to go numb. If you had been through what she has gone through, you might not have lasted long. She meditates and contemplates escape, being here or being gone. She dies a little every day and sometimes it feels like her time here is cruelly prolonged. If you had to wrestle with her ghosts, I doubt that many people could be that strong.
Now we're in the same room with both of our pains combined and in attendance. I'm on my side of the bed full of liquor and she's on her end full of smoke. She offers me a pull and I pass my glass so she can take a sip. We slide closer together and for that moment, nothing else exists. We take everything off and prepare to let the entire world slip…so far away from us that nothing really matters. Now there's no fear, no shame, no pain, no guilt and no past. Who knows if this will last but for now…there is ONLY this!
Reading this makes me want a drink right now. I can definitely relate.
ReplyDelete"There are occasions when I have to deal with what's due and there are things I'm forced to face, even when I don't want to." - That line stands out. So many things we're forced to face when we don't want to. However, we MUST face them.
Thanks for reading and relating T. Yup, everyday life is struggle but, we push on through.
ReplyDelete