At the time it was worth it,
to be hooked like a fish,
baited by the bottle,
strung on it for years,
caught by
*addiction.

Spinning.

Twirl through
the uphill bottle,
and battle the
summertime blues.

Spin free
of the days
spent swimming
in expensive *****.

Dance on my tongue,
whiskey,
or bourbon,
whatever the hell
you may be.

Spin with me,
close my eyes
to the dream.

Spin with me,
my glass-necked fiend.

Spin me free.

He says this is the last drink

The very last bottle he will drain

For now, all he wants is to think

While he has senses that still remain



But tomorrow will just bring another day

Where a lonely life will cause only pain

Only one thing can ever take the sorrow away

He will turn to the ****** bottle once again



He has lost it all, lost his very will

He is cursed by the demon drink to follow

He just picks a bottle up to once more swill

He just puts it to his lips and ready to swallow



His life seems to be one long  horror show

He  ends up being in another drunken daze

He can never stop while the urges continue to grow

He is always trapped in his very own alcohol craze



His wife and family left him so very long ago

But he never looks to find anyones' pity

For this is the life he has come to know

One more lost alcoholic, lost in the city





copyright Chris Smith 2004

I once knew my father so well
He fought back tears as we spoke of Heaven and Hell
He watched me swim in the backyard in a kitty pool
I thought he was great and sometimes, even cool
I love my father
I lost my dad some years ago
Not to death, only to alcohol and sorrow
I'm not sure who he is now
I know only that it is not likely he will return
I love my father
He showed me what it's like to really live life on this Earth
No material things really mattered
Only love, friendship, and family, until it all shattered
I see the glossy-ness of your eyes as you pop the tab of another beer
It all grew from the root of fear
You didn't mean to lose it all
Only to have a great climb before the fall
I love you, father
My dad taught me patience
Picking him up out of a bathtub, my fear latent
Anger prevails
Arms flail
A relationship so frail
The seams busted, and I screamed and shouted
You never doubted me
I love you, father
I've forgiven you too many times to count
I never showed resentment, only annoyance
I admit, not dismiss
I broke boundaries and treated you with disrespect
You don't deserve it when you're at your best
But that still leaves all the rest
I love my father
I'm angry, but not blindly so
I give my all for him only to dispose
My dad's a drunk
But I've come to accept
I know he loves me, so that's all I'll continue to expect
I love you, father