you were a brother
not of blood
but of choice
we had each other's backs
but I couldn't see
that the lifestyle we were living
was slowly trapping you
I heard about you skipping school
alone in some woods
getting drunk
in the middle of the day
when you were high more and more
until sobriety surprised me
when the medical cabinet
became a candy store
I saw this all happening
and did nothing
paralyzed
I looked away for just a moment
and suddenly there it was,
the monkey on your back
I'm sorry that I never intervened
I just didn't know how to
now you are in the New York countryside
having it out with that reflection
getting your **** together
I haven't seen you in a couple of years now
but I never forgot to hope
to hope that you can beat this
and come back to me, brother