When it happens and it hits hard, we decide certain things, and realize there's truth in all those dark, lonely days"
He had an instantaneous look about him,
a glimmer and a glint over those eyes,
he knew how the world worked,
and took pleasure in its wickedness.
He would give a dime or two to those sitting on the street,
he would tell them things like:
"It won't get any better,"
and
"Might as well use this to buy your next fix,"
and finally
"It's better to die high than to live sober,"
His suit was pressed nicely, with care and respect,
like the kind a corpse wears,
he'd say that was his way of honoring the dead,
of always being ready for the oncoming train,
I liked him,
he never wore a fake smile
and he was always ready to tell a story about
how and
when
"We all wake up alone," he said once,
"Oftentimes even when sleeping next to someone, we wake up before them and they are still asleep and suddenly we are awake, and alone."
I didn't see him for a few days,
a few days later it felt like it'd been weeks,
those weeks drifted apart from one another,
like leaves on a pond's surface,
and became like months.
And then I saw him and I asked him where he'd been,
he said,
"I woke up alone one day, just like any other, and I decided I didn't like it anymore.
— Dave Matthes
alcoholismambitionbooze
