Luke Samuel Davis
The man out on the street
For years I knew him only by name
Faceless, harmless, but influential the same
He knew me not, and that was fine by me
Until that one cloudy, polluted night
Everything near me felt oh so wrong
You helped me up to my feet
And treated me to a meal
You had a smile I could trust
And you helped me to feel good
You were the one missing from my life
You welcomed me and brought me cheer
Together our life a series of roller coasters
We rode them in succession for all they were worth
The hills so steep, though the rides not long
We’d soon be grounded, but only until we started again
You changed my life in ways unimagined
The confidence built up as I took charge
The days I slept away and the sunshine I missed completely
But you were always there to start my night right
But it didn’t take long for things to change
I slowly began to lose control
My life revolving entirely around you
By what you did or did not do to show your love
Until that one day that you ended my ride
Halted you said by lack of resources
Your abandoned me for another
And took her into your arms the same
Where are you now that I need you most?
To comfort me and take away with this pain
I need you back at my side
Please stay and never leave my sight
But you continue to stay away
As withdrawal continues to haunt me
I lay in my room, shivering in my bed
My body unnerved without your calming presence
Time has passed, but regrettably, I miss you the same
Though I hate you now, I’ll desire you always
You used me at will until I could give no more
The worst part is you don’t even remember my name
I struggle now to make it through the day
Once loved, but now my most bitter enemy
Today I feel so sick and abused
Alone, suffering, and wanting to die
This is a not-so-subtle attack on drug addiction. The man on the street is not Luke Samuel Davis. Rather the man is your drug of choice. I called it Luke Samuel Davis for no other reason than the LSD initials. When some people aren't able to find happiness in life naturally, they turn to substance abuse. Drugs don't care at all who you are. You could be a wealthy and powerful executive or a person living on welfare. If you give them even the slightest of chances, they have the ability to rip your life apart. You might turn to them to temporarily escape some sort of pain that you are in or you might turn to them to achieve a euphoria that you just aren't getting in any other facet of your life, regardless of what you are trying. The drugs don't care. They want to steal your money, your time, your dignity, and your livelihood. As much as you think you can just quit whenever you want to, it doesn't work like that. Addiction takes you to dark, dark places. As good as they made you feel when you needed them, you feel 100 times worse when your life is spiraling out of control and you lack the ability to stop it.
Written in 2003
Copyright, The Poetry of Bryan Buser