August 24, 2022.
ringing the phone off the hook -
a strained voice and hacking cough
from years of shaky handed smoke breaks
Asks me where my daddy is,
what about my mama -
Needs a quick fix, "Surely you understand honey,
tell em' to give me a call"
One counts the pills,
the other counts the money
and I'm unbuckled in the back seat
Parked in an unfamiliar driveway
I thought it was strange back then
that my dad stood so tall over my sister
for her addiction when he was a supplier
to another poor woman who drowned in grief
and they all claimed to be friends, good friends
but here we are charging an arm and a leg
for a little piece of sanity
putting band-aids on weeping wounds
Lydie lost her child in a swimming pool accident
and every since then, she will hit any bottle you hand her
My fondest memory was her styling my platinum blonde wig
for a Halloween costume contest in middle school
Tucked away in the mountains like the moonshine stills
Willing to go blind if you've seen enough, I reckon
Land bare for miles, nothing but blue rock and pills
An issue so common, you'd discuss it over breakfast before prayer
I hear a lot about substance abuse here and stereotypes
I don't see a lot of empathy from those looking in
I don't see responsibility on those looking out
So many restrictions and limitations on getting proper help
Lose it all to habit, and you can try to change
No roof, no car - a long drive and a weary heart
All that trauma confined to the word "pillbilly"
- just because of where you are
Poetry by aidan haskel
Read 224 times
Written on 2022-08-24 at 07:09
Save as a bookmark (requires login)
Write a comment (requires login)
Send as email (requires login)
Print text
"pillbillies"
Quick to the draw,ringing the phone off the hook -
a strained voice and hacking cough
from years of shaky handed smoke breaks
Asks me where my daddy is,
what about my mama -
Needs a quick fix, "Surely you understand honey,
tell em' to give me a call"
One counts the pills,
the other counts the money
and I'm unbuckled in the back seat
Parked in an unfamiliar driveway
I thought it was strange back then
that my dad stood so tall over my sister
for her addiction when he was a supplier
to another poor woman who drowned in grief
and they all claimed to be friends, good friends
but here we are charging an arm and a leg
for a little piece of sanity
putting band-aids on weeping wounds
Lydie lost her child in a swimming pool accident
and every since then, she will hit any bottle you hand her
My fondest memory was her styling my platinum blonde wig
for a Halloween costume contest in middle school
Tucked away in the mountains like the moonshine stills
Willing to go blind if you've seen enough, I reckon
Land bare for miles, nothing but blue rock and pills
An issue so common, you'd discuss it over breakfast before prayer
I hear a lot about substance abuse here and stereotypes
I don't see a lot of empathy from those looking in
I don't see responsibility on those looking out
So many restrictions and limitations on getting proper help
Lose it all to habit, and you can try to change
No roof, no car - a long drive and a weary heart
All that trauma confined to the word "pillbilly"
- just because of where you are
Poetry by aidan haskel
Read 224 times
Written on 2022-08-24 at 07:09
Save as a bookmark (requires login) Write a comment (requires login) Send as email (requires login) Print text
|
Uncle Meridian |
|
Lawrence Beck |
|
Griffonner |
| Texts |
 by aidan haskel Latest textshe bit megun smoke & mirrors sedative hillbilly elegy knots |
Increase font
Decrease