Junkie-man Rocket-ship

This is just a life that begged to be recorded for posterity, for even now it is gone far far away.

The suns low position on the horizon produces elongated shadows that now, fall across the courtyard.  There between the remaining trees that stand like refugees frozen amid a war zone, somewhere, I can see you nod.  You aren't nodding at anyone in particular, especially not me.  You nod and you stoop~ a familiar position, a comfortable one.  In my eyes you are hanging on the edge of an ice covered cliff.  Where you really are... and how you got there can't be explained, if you've never given yourself an itch.

So there you stand, in the itchy shadows bent like a wilting tulip.  Once you were beautiful but nobody cares.  The thing that is so ironic is that you're not even really there, you're far away, on the head of a pin with all the other angels.  They say, "Every time a bell rings an angel gets his wings." and you spend your days and nights ringing your own bell.  That din, echoing... reverberating... flowing from some place inside of you, on top of you, behind you, in front and on all sides of you pressing outward and back again.  In my eyes, you nod and stoop.  In yours, you bow to the Great Eye of the Universe.

When you reappear...in your own eyes, even in the itchy shadows of that empty lot of dying light I wonder, are you arriving or are you returning to the place where you stand?  I only ask because after so long, only now do you stumble away hugging yourself with one arm and scratching with the other... and this makes me contemplate whether that spot, is still fresh with the residual power of the universe, could I stand there even for a moment and see... 

Would I myself, choose to nod and stoop before that same Eye, if by doing so would cause me to disappear?  

Reviews

[Dye]

Wow, I had to read this a few times just gather the entire scene that you painted. It definitely struck a chord and I have too often been around people like this. It is a sad life indeed. I've have been surrounded by junkies and alcoholics my entire life and does make you think. Very good poem, story, read, thought provoking image you have here.

[Astro]

Thank you for the review Dye, I'm glad that it connected with you.

[Jack...]

To that question, I would answer yes...emphatically. There must be more than meets the eye, for these minds, your mind, my mind know but refuse to tell us...yet if we look we see things that we feel are unexplainable...but are they not? Dancing on the head of a pin, this is our universe or at least what we know as our universe, our place, our time, our life. Is it all that it is meant to be, how the hell would we know...our minds will not relinguish that data...but they know, they know.

I felt a sad longing in this, for something lost, something needed or something not readily understood. A need for answers if we ever find the right questions to ask. Still reaching deep I feel there is a heart in play, one beginning to tear down the middle. Unrepairable, probably not but still clinging to that vision in the distance and wondering...is that me?

Astro, you have bent my mind to fit within this write and it fits perfectly.

[Astro]

It would seem that a piece that I didn't know if I should share it, has secretly become one of the most profound pieces with respect to it's effects on the reader. I'm happy that it also had such an effect on you Jack. Thanks for the great review.

[Travis Gibson (poetic h..]

Great piece, bro... I've watched this very thing from those close to me, to complete strangers. I've also often wondered where it was that they were spirited off to. You've given great life to that very perspective; masterfully done!

[Astro]

Thanks PH, from what I've read from you I can understand how you would see the truth in the description. Thank you very much friend.

[Travis Gibson (poetic heroics)]

Truth indeed. "You nod and you stoop~ a familiar position, a comfortable one" this only an example of how true your words ring throughout this piece. Anyone who has ever experienced this will attest to the same.

[Astro]

Thanks again man I'm happy to have succeeded so well in my attempt.

[Girl Friday (Sarah W.)]

Sometimes you read poetry that is just pretty language strung together in fashionable form, and then sometimes you come across something that has depth enough to fill a waterless sea. This is one of those pieces; one of those pieces that makes me want to see the world through your eyes, which I believe is the greatest accomplishment of a writer. I'm fascinated, confused (in a good way), and forced to search within myself to decipher the delicate nuances in this one. Sure I could give the piece a generalized summary, but there is so much more going on behind the scenes...sort of like the gears of a clock. Well done.

[Astro]

If only I could show you, the world and how I see it...that thought will keep me content and awake for quite a while. Thank you for such a unique and thoughtful review Sarah.

[Angi]

Astro, This piece grabbed me, man. I read it three times and each time had me nodding my head in agreement. I used to watch my father nod and stoop just like that! I always sensed he wasn't there inside himself in those moments. After a while, he would sort of snap to and that damned itch was always there. He was a sometimes junkie, always pothead and alcoholic. So strange to picture my father while reading your words. It is like you were there. I have been purging dear old dad quite a lot these days. This affected me so. Angi~

[Astro]

Hugs Angi, I'm glad I could capture the moment so accurately that you and Frieda could connect with it. Thank you for your honesty and for reading and reviewing my work.

[Angi]

This was very good, Astro. I could picture the whole scene.

[Astro]

Thanks again Angi.

[Frieda P]

A phenomenal read my friend, had to read it over again. Much food for thought in this one, I can see someone who's life is passing before them, in a daze, not knowing how it went so fast or what happened in the interim, I think you were watching me. Seriously, this is deep and introspective Astro. I'll be reading this one again and again...

[Astro]

I sincerely hope that I wasn't watching you Frieda, I live in an area that is home to many lost souls and stuck there in the margins if you open your eyes wider than the average person, you can see the sad mystery that has few solutions. I was having a cup of tea on one side of the street but could still see that on the other side there was one lonely junkie stooped over in a haze rocking and nodding away but not falling to the ground. It was sad, but all too frequent in my neck of the woods, I just had to capture it in the only way I know how. I'm glad you liked it and made it one of your favorites, thank you very much.

[Frieda P]

Literally I read it as a junkie, but I saw a lost soul in your words, or maybe what I saw didn't site well with me, my son is addicted to heroin, doing well at the moment, but only time will tell....it's a long road back....my pleasure always Astro.

[Astro]

Seek out ibogaine treatment when he's ready. Thanks again, and take care.

[Laminators Dubai]

its a war of thoughts and we die as a brave....
thanks for sharing the words... ^^

[Astro]

Thanks for the review Glitch.