When he happened upon his broken father
A boy too young to see
Needles and trash strewn all over
"Daddy? Dad? Can you hear me?"

"Are you okay, Dad? Are you okay?"
Knowing deep down the answer
His heart ached with confusion,
His innocence ripped away
The drugs, he thought
Were a form of cancer
And heavy on their shoulders
Did they weigh

Timid to approach the skeleton
Leaning against the wall,
Knowing they would
Both be frozen to the touch
Tears swelled
Not wanting to fall,
Balancing on the ledges
Of their eyelids
It was all almost
Too much

But he never gave up on him,
Not even when everyone else did
"I love you, Son. I love you more than you can imagine."

The sight could make a small boy dizzy
But he hung on like death, although it was not easy
But what can a small boy do when he sees his father in this view?

He stared into empty eyes
Thinking viciously of his mother's lies
But what does a small boy know of love's austere and lonely shadows?

I love you, Dad. Are you still there?
Wondering in his heart if he would ever get better

I love you, Son. I'm here. I'm always here.
But even that,
Couldn't ease this
Crippling fear