Thursday, January 4, 2018

Alumni News ~ Thursday, 4 January 2018

Is it strange when I see 
my cousin's name and face 
in an email from school 

Damned if I didn't know 
he was eleven years 
older when he destroyed 

In his own way my soul 
along with my brother 
with tag-team torture games 

Only five when I met 
this young man in high school 
he thought he was real cool 

Trouble is he still does 
as does my sole brother 
heartless from age seven 

Still they gave me an axe 
to grind to hate my own 
alcoholic family 

Denial I didn't know 
I suppressed in my guts 
until I left college 

Even my own parents 
didn't know what to do 
I fell into a void 

Nothing but a sucker 
to their puerile choices 
I got called all the names 

I lost my mind from stress 
of learning the effects 
of alcoholism 

Ask the alcoholic 
dead in his ashen urn 
or maybe in heaven 

Laugh at the metaphors 
for places we visit 
post-death hypocrisy 

Liquor did its job well 
it bonded the elders 
with drink took off the edge 

Inhibitions removed 
they danced to the music 
and drank cashew feni 

Quarrels with dad got me 
a backhand bloody lip 
my school friend can attest 

Understand they weren't bad 
people they didn't know 
better they forced a schism 

Only my dead father 
could undo between them 
without apology 

Relating as normal 
people with me I stay 
away and they divest 

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