HOLD ON

By: Sedline Venord

Hey, brother.

What’s wrong?

I know you can’t tell,

But I see you.

Your pain.

Bright red from your sleeve

It bleeds through.

You let out a small gasp as the needle sticks you.

How did you let this happen?

And for how long?

I wonder.

Please tell me,

What can I do?

 

Hey, Sister.

Stay strong.

I know you’re hurting.

I hear it in your voice.

The things you’ve been saying lately,

They’re quite concerning.

It seems to me like you had a choice.

But you’re still in this position.

I see that you’re stuck,

Battling the whispers, saying,

More. More.

It’s you against yourself.

Mindset versus cigarette,

A never ending war.

 

Hey, friend, I’m coming over.

Ding dong.

I ring the doorbell and hear a party’s going on.

I worry.

I know it’s the weekend and your parents are gone.

Since the last time we met,

You were acting really strange.

Making up stories here and there,

Excuses for why you’ve been doing things.

Some things I know you don’t usually do.

Some strange stuff I’ve seen you hiding in your room.

I tried to talk to you,

But you just won’t let me in.

I’m still trying to figure out

How this even began.

 

Hey, momma.

It’s been too long.

Too long since I’ve heard you laugh.

Too long since I’ve seen your smile.

Please come back.

I don’t know if you can hear me,

Those voices in your head,

Hallucinations.

Still trying to take over.

Fight momma, fight.

I know you can beat this.

This high will only last a minute.

Afterwards, the walls cave in.

Then maybe things can go back to normal again.

You tell me it’s not that simple.

You can’t just wish this away.

I ask, why not? Is that feeling always gonna stay?

 

Hey, poppa.

Come hear my new song.

Not now, you say,

Go run along.

I feel deflated,

But it’s nothing new.

I bite my lip and stare down at my shoes.

Papa, will you ever be the same?

Since you’ve came back from the war,

It’s like you’ve changed.

Those pills they gave you

Made you act real strange.

You say that you’re fine.

But I’m not too young or dumb to see,

You’re hurting.

Everyday,

It gets worse and worse.

I hope you still love me.

 

Hey, reader.

Don’t be discouraged.

This life is rocky,

With temptations here and there.

But trust me it’s not worth it.

Those drugs gave me quite a scare.

I know sometimes you can’t control it.

And some haven’t even chose it.

The sensations your body craves.

Whether diagnosed or overdosed,

And just a price you had to pay.

The road gets rougher,

But hang in there,

You’ll make it out someday.

 

Or maybe not.

Maybe just a cycle of more pain

And more shots.

But at least in the end you tried,

And gave it all you got.

 

Drug free,

I am,

And proud to be.

Will you join me?

The year is 2019.

Me and my SADD crew,

We want to tell you,

Hold on.

Change is coming.