• You call for a knife, five minutes later
    we find drips of blood; it now protrudes from
    your wrist

    stains in the carpet, it's black, but we see
    discoloration, blood is lighter than
    fabric.

    Later, after the blood, we find the weed
    and the needles, the meth, the heroine
    you're lost.

    Used to be my friend, reminded you once
    but you lost the will to change, gone forever
    and then

    four years later, mother got that phone call
    from the police, he's at the coroner.
    I know

    that however much she would wish it not,
    the fact is, this is quite a permanent
    dosage.