3am Relapse

A reader named Vic submitted this poem and I wanted to emphasize a couple things that make not only this poem so wonderful, but that make slam poetry so unique. The first thing I have say is Vic's first line is sensational. It's a "hit you in the gut" line, and gets the reader's or audience's attention quickly.

What's even more significant is that Vic really didn't know much about writing poetry when he sent this to me. He just thought this was some sort of freestyle - and he's right (as we all know from reading my blogs about slam poetry, yes? :)). 

He's 29 years old. The terrorist attacks of 9/11 had such an impact on his life and this country that he joined the United States Marines Corp, serving 6 years and one tour to Afghanistan in 2010. In 2014 he was honorably discharged, and then started attending a community college. Today he has two sons. And through all that Vic has seen and done, through the hardest moments in his life, he always found poetry as his way to express him. I'm so glad - in fact I'm honored - that he sent this to me; I'm proud to have it on the website.

Vic explained poetry as "his counselor", and that really resonated with me. I guess I've always felt the same but never explained it so simply and clearly (thanks Vic!). 

I know Vic loves writing, and I really hope he enjoys seeing this posted on my website.

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3am Relapse: A free form poem, submitted by Vic

This year I called my friends more times to tell them I was high,
Instead of hi

I didn't call to say hi,
I miss you
No instead I just misused
or
Used friends and lovers
Broke trust with my mother's
My only father I just only bothered
Because I refused to be recovered

Not to mention all the negative attention,
Or me being absent in attendance when I should have been present,
Glorified by my own ambition
to beat a system
Horrified with my own admission
that my condition
worsened by my drug symptoms

Living, no,
I was pretty much just left for dead,
With no place to rest my worried head,
And my disease just fluried and spread,
Hurry I fled,
led by the demons inside of my head
To the sea, sinking I couldn't tread
With no floats
I was one lonely boat
With no anchor or no rope
Damn, no faith or no hope
Only a paid date with dope
Joke
Nope, because no one was laughing
I continued asking myself why is this happening
My walls kept collapsing
Me falling left relapsing
Looking for anything to grasp but at last
My time had passed
And than I just

CRASHED!!!