image by "wevfewv" on Pixabay
Twelve Steps to Paradise
Black smoke clouds encircle a crowd
Of revellers standing outside a church hall,
Fumigating the wounds of the past,
Cigarette ash falls to the earth,
Like the embers of lost souls who
Never made it back to the front line of recovery,
Many men die before taking the first
Steps towards the upper realms of paradise,
Freedom from bondage of self,
A debt absolved that can only be repaid
By giving away what was freely given to us,
Blessed are the sick who surrender to Him.
_____________________________
Paul J. L. Hughes is a breakthrough English poet. He writes about alcoholism, drug addiction, mental illness, and religious transformation. He shares his writing at instagram.com/prosebypaul
July 2024 issue
A poem about the importance of recovery. Wonderful.