With the upcoming holidays, some will not
have the usual celebrations we see in Hollywood movies. Some will have to deal with
drunks and/or druggies. God Bless and keep us all!
My caller ID does not work properly,
Without my reading glasses
I cannot see, anyway
I pick up
It is you
Dread creeps over me
Like a dark, dense fog
We have a history
You were my friend
Once upon a time
Much water has flowed
Since then
In your glory days
You were a public servant
As was I
You had the well paid job
And built your dream home
On five acres
We had music in common
And share zodiac signs
I remember your birthday
You never remember mine
Once you gave me a key
To your big house
Said to stay any time
I liked
Later you demanded your
Key back
Saying I came too often
I was puzzled, since
I hadn’t been there
In six months
Another time, I house-sat for you
And your then husband
While you vacationed
In Mexico
Before you left, you said:
I don’t want you to have visitors
Secretly, I was incensed, so
I screwed my boyfriend
In every room!
Take that! I said
Of course, I never told you
You had fabulous clothes,
An impressive walk-in closet
And you performed on stage
Like a rock star
Your songwriting was
Filled with supportive rants
For the underdog
I admired that-
Because you never were
Band members came
And went, because
You had to have
Total control
Collaboration was
Never your game
The irony of your
Last Band Squeeze
Leaving you in the dust
Was probably only
Noticed by me-
Years ago, you stole him
From his wife…
You haven’t been friendly
With me in years-
Out of the blue,
My phone rings and
You pour out your soul:
You say you’ve been in jail,
Incarcerated for brandishing
Scissors and telling your
Live-in lover: I could
Kill you
You further confess
You’ve been in rehab-
For prescription drug abuse
You ask for my
Reassurance-that I am
Your friend
Never do you ask: How has
your life been?
I realize, at that point,
That you’re no different than
My ex, who was an addict, too
I am barely getting by
I have learned my lessons
The hard way
And this I know for sure:
I cannot let another addict
Into my life
I try to be nice,
But you ask for my address and
I don’t want you to know
Where I live
I fear your boundaries are gone
That you’ll show up, uninvited
While I am so
Very overwhelmed
With my own life
Why wouldn’t you?
You call uninvited and
Manipulate me into
Listening to your blues
And staying on the phone-my
True friends know I loathe long
Phone conversations…
Your blues make me sick-
You’ve had many opportunities
I have not
And you snivel and whine
About how hard your life is
You sound like addicts
I have known-narcissistic Takers,
Who profess friendship,
While they suck, like a vampire
On my soul
My tallest mountain to climb
Is saying what really is
When you ask: Don’t you
Want to be my friend?
It is on the tip of my tongue-
I cannot quite say it, but
My mind screams: No!
I want to say: I am not
A professional,
You can afford counseling-
Please do yourself a favor
And get some
I cannot have your addict salt
Rubbed into my old wounds
I am getting stronger,
Healing from not having
To deal with dark addict souls
Do I want to be your friend? You Ask-
My reply: Thank you, but no…
RMK 24 November 2014
