my daughter’s in the grip of a ghastly ghoul
which cannot be constrained by the laws of the land
it grows fat on the flesh of those careless fools
who have staggered onto its chemical hand
once it has grasped them it won’t let go
it consumes the flesh and it addles the head
and fear and conspiracies enter the soul
they all end up crazy and some end up dead
and while greedy governments ignore our young
in their bid to find excuses to starve the poor
the outlawed crystal lewdly wags it tongue
grins at his victims then squeezes some more
with feline cheek he plays with my offspring
he stretches her tether then he sets her free
but within his reach, confidently offering
another tasty morsel, dispite the guarantee
that the next fix will bring more devastation
she’ll be stalked and abused by invisible foes
her madness will drive her into isolation
she
ignores
the
inner
warning
and
she
takes
another
dose.
© Jane Paterson Basil
Making it write 
Heartbreaking. I wonder if previous generations had had access to crystal meth and other “modern” life breakers if they, too, would have taken them or if this is the symptom of the excesses and lacks of modern society? Something has gone so wrong. I admire your willingness to be so brutally honest in your tale-telling, Jane. https://grieflessons.wordpress.com/2015/05/31/a-photo-a-week-the-circle-of-life/
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Thank you for your comment. I’m compiling a book of poems which describe the addictions of my two younger children. The only possible way to get through to vulnerable people is to tell it like it is. I just want to turn others from that path, and to reach the families of addicts.
I think evil works its way in a little at a time, but the extent to which addiction has taken hold throughout the western world is horrifying, and yes, it must be a reflection of our society.
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Oh, Jane, this must be so hard – watch powerlessly your child as she “disappears” from under your own eyes, as powerfully illustrated by the photo artwork, if need was there to furthermore support the impacting words. I don’t know what’s happening in the world, but too many parents these days are watching powerlessly how their children are harming themselves… This is a chaotic world, in which the good and the sensitive need to knock themselves out of their normal awareness in order to be able to cope with the evergrowing feeling of living in a soulless world. I wonder whether, if they all knew crystal-clear how important and worthy they really are to the universe, would they still keep “effacing” themselves out of their own existence??
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I think you’ve hit the nail on the head – no-one with a strong understanding of their worth gets messed up in this way. It’s hard to access that awareness when other kids are deriding you for having ginger hair, or being overweight, or from the wrong side of town, or gay. When teachers are saying you don’t try, when they are deriding and criticising you. When your parents are so tired from trying to find the money to place food on the table that they hardly say anything at all, or they drink, or they beat you, or they’re dead and you’re being passed from one foster family to another.
Then you grow up, and it’s even tougher.
But I refuse to live without hope.
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I am increasingly drawn to believe that we have come to this that we see – a society of bullies, of demeaning and deriding, of criticizing and of de-validating because we are essentially being denied the right of having a soul. If mainstream science would say that our soulful nature is an illusion, then all the system, from educational to medical, to judicial, to financial and economical, deal with us human beings as with disposable machines. As a result, society is entitled to trash us for a publicity, for an objective or a project, or for attaining some financial or political target.
I have come to love and admire your skills, so I am quite happy with your mentioned project and confident that there could be no better person to take a stand and illustrate your point than you. I believe I’m not the only one.
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You certainly know how to make me feel good about myself! Thank you for your effusive encouragement. The truth is, I only believe in myself if others believe in me, and if I finish my project it will be due to the support given to me by amazing people such as yourself.
As for averything else you’ve written here – you too have a powerful voice,and something important to say, and those words deserve a larger audience.
Post them?
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I, too, thank you. You mean, I should post them? I was just thinking of reblogging your post, together with some other posts that strongly impacted me.
But if you were referring to spreading my own message, guess what, I have currently registered for a 3rd time to blogging 101 – (former class dropout, I confess). I guess the universe just wanted me to REALLY, thoroughly understand that all I should care about is to leave everything behind (caring about my adult kids, jumping to the rescue, etc.) and just focus on expressing myself – nothing else really matters. Ugh .. finally, but it took me quite a while to understand.
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Yes, I was suggesting you spread your message.
Have fun with blogging 101. It’s useful, but not that much fun, and it may push you into sharing some of that important stuff which your head is packed with, before it gets lost in the recesses..
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Thanx, Jane, I, too, hope so.
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It starts tomorrow!!!!
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You may find some interesting new blogs. Fresh ideas and all that.
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The only downside is that I’m not yet ready, as usual; ’cause the thing that I most need is, as you said, constructive and honest opinions on what I am doing. Need some sharks with strong teeth before I become strong enough to officially pitch my work.
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I just went on your blog to do some reading, and then realised I can’t do it the justice it deserves because it’s 22.45 here. I’m shattered and have an appointment to keep at 9am.
I’ll give it more time tomorrow.
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Thnx, Jane – even better, I am currently going through it, give it some brushing and dusting. Good night!
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Oh, girlfriend. Your ability to get it all out there so beautifully continues to amaze me. Even when it’s horrible stuff your words never fail. The picture gallery at the end made it all so poignant and pulled it together. She looks like her mama… {{{Jane}}}
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I don’t often share personal photos, partly because I haven’t managed to get them online yet, but I wanted to put across the reality of this monster which is devouring our children.
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A very evocative and poignant poem. All the best.
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Thank you.
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