Masked Sobriety

in The Ink Well4 years ago

Hello guys, hope this meets you well. Sorry I haven't posted in awhile. My intention was to dish out only fresh content from the oven here but been experiencing writers block for some time now. Woke up this morning,decided to post something from my archive instead.

Truth is we all deal with a lot behind closed doors. Our struggles sometimes even lead to other struggles but we keep pushing through. One of the most admired trait of humans is our perseverance and the ability to mask our pain, inabilities and struggles well. Some might argue it's not a good thing as people won't know what's going on with you.

I say we keep it all together for as long as we can, try to figure it all out. Because no one can help you if you're unwilling to first help yourself.

 “Masked Sobriety”

The call to activate oblivion
and bury the pain was greater
than desire to deaden my need
for this vice, so twice I’ve had
a shot of temporary ecstacy
but don’t tell anyone.

Dragging my feet and slurring my
words had me realize I was
hanging on a cloud without wings.
Couldn’t tell if the skies were blue
or black, only had one colour
in my head, green.
But don’t tell anyone.

Drawn to the toxicity of it all,
the darkness and seclusion,
the world is too bright for me
anyway.
But don’t tell anyone.

The struggle is real, I’m nothing
close to Saint Paul but I was hauled
into a realm of realization seeing
that I’m of a tribe that struggles,
doesn’t mean my choices should
be as predictable as a drunk.

Men struggle, with choices,
with demons, with love,
with hatred, with guilt
as much as with vices.
Masked sobriety is what we
practice.

Fight it with a will that can
eventually suppress the urge
with a big smile, mask your
sobriety well, the hardship
of every man’s path is only
revealed to him, mask it.

              A poem by OKIKI©

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#naijacommunity #poetry #freewriter