At a young age, we are introduced to and warned of fatal addictions
Drugs of every shape and form are proclaimed as our lifelong enemies
Whether we choose the path of hand to hand combat with them is up to us
We are shown the lasting effects of these addictions to scare us away
We are told to fight temptation and peer pressure over and over until the words are forever imprinted upon us
We must resist, they say

But no one ever mentions the fact that the most deadly drug appears to you as everything you have ever wanted
With qualities unlike any other
Qualities that are impossible to resist
No teacher, policeman, or parent ever warned me that my most fatal addiction would have a heartbeat
No one ever told me that a smile could hook me right then and there
And keep me for life
I got high off of laughter and a gentle touch
I lived life with a sweet satisfaction that told me everything would be alright
But eventually,
I could only muster up whispers of words left unspoken to burn and keep me at a level close to sanity
I needed more and more
You can only get so high off a memory
And my drug had nothing left to give me

No one ever speaks of what it's like to suffer with the withdrawals after you give up hoping for a return
No one ever speaks of the relapses on the days you think that everything is back to normal
No one tells you about how it feels when your drug finds another victim
Each day is a struggle to kick an addiction that you never saw coming

But with time, the longing goes away
As the days count up, so does your resistance
Growing up, you're told countless lessons and stories about fatal addictions and their cause
To look out for these drugs because all it takes is one use to hook you
And I never knew that applied to people as well

        m.h.