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Reminder: Do Not Drink Alcohol as Stress Relief

A poem about family, control, and inherited substance abuse problems

By Rowan RileyPublished 14 days ago 1 min read
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If you tilt

If you sway

If you get tipsy, or wasted

Then you're screwed

-

I have to be the man

The one that's in control

So I shirk away

My father drank stale IPAs

And my mother drowns in bitter reds

I drink my fruit punch from a sippy cup

Through a twisty straw

-

I'm here

Ever present

Don't ever let me let my guard down

Don't ever let me be like that

Some warped reflection

Of the way the past set me up to fail

Of the nasty legacy

It runs in my viscous blood

social commentaryMental HealthFamily
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About the Creator

Rowan Riley

I've been writing since I was very young and am trying to put myself out there by sharing some of my works, both new and old.

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  • Alex H Mittelman 14 days ago

    Fantastic poem!

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