needles piercing at the skin
bruises forming from the acid
once a healthy man
once a great dad
then bruises started to form.

"daddy why are your arms purple?"
"grown up business baby"
"daddy why can I see your ribs?"
"I was born like that baby.."

but he wasn't
I look at old pictures
I miss my real dad
I haven't talked to him in years
only drugged versions of him..

"daddy I miss you..."
why cant you put the needle down
not even for the love of your daughter
"daddy come back"
"daddy I need  you"

our relationship before the needles
"I miss you daddy."
"daddy please put the needles down."


daddy I'm 15 now
I've watched you morph into a new person
a new person I don't recognize
the ac id occupying your whole body
controlling your whole world

trees that were once green
those trees are now dead
burned in the ac id you take in

"daddy I'm so excited to have a brother!"
is what a younger me would say
me now just prays
I pray daddy that you put the needle down..
for him..