21st Century Tribe

She does a ritual dance
Around the melting pool
Praising the crimson swirl
The storm before the calm

The ceremony begins
The blades are drawn
He bows to worship
Inhaling the rapture

With gathered gusto
They sound the chimes
Calling a chant
Baptized in the amber river

That was our rite of passage

Now she sits
Contained by walls

He wanders
Without a shrine

They search
For the end of the river

We all sit together
In this 21st century tribe
Warriors
Telling tall tales

This is our atonement

Experience, Strength, & Hope

Hi, my name is … and yes, I'm a member
How I got here? I can't quite remember.
My last thirty years are kind of a haze
Caused from what I called the "good ol' days"
Filled with booze, pills and drugs of all names
Sex, deceit and life threatening games
Waning into self-destruction
Humiliated by some dramatic production
Never deterred by hitting a bottom
I'd bounce right back without a problem
I egotistically thought I had control
Lied to my loved ones and played my roll
Letting them believe that I was getting better
Watching them be so proud of Heather
But in truth I still caused frustration
I'd fail to meet my obligations
My work day cut short by far
To have more than a few drinks at the bar
Rushing home to cook dinner and then when it's over
Passing out due to my mid-evening hangover
So I am here for the people I love
And due to the things that I am tired of
Your experience, strength and hope empowers
So that I may get through another 24 hours