Monthly Archives: June 2017

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tour group

I took this photograph sitting on the steps of the Renwick Gallery, finishing a cup of tea before I went in. I was back visiting my son and old friends in the Baltimore-Washington corridor.

They should rename it the Baltimore-Washington superhighway.

And is it a revelation that you see things like this in Washington, DC? It’s a pretty weird place.

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damage

This is not about one patient. It is about many. I have permission from the person I gave a copy to: one of many.

what do you say
to the person
with the terrible childhood
with addiction and chaos
and suicide attempts and hospitals
and that was the parents
that they ran away from

and then numbed themselves
in addiction for years
multidrug and chaos
and now stable
working their 12 steps

and grieving
their lost years
and their behavior
unforgiven, it takes time
to build trust after
thirty years of damage

and grieving
the next generation
following the same
path and feeling helpless
to stop them
and guilt for their
contribution

it is not a matter
of a pill
of a diagnosis

the simplicity of stopping
of getting clean
joy and pride
yes

and then the hard work
of grieving
begins

 

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I took the photograph at the Renwick Gallery.