Venom

by Jessica Wheeler

The serpent hunts alone,
disguised as flesh and bone.
He's dressed to kill, with scales beneath his denim.

The hiss behind his tone,
entices till he's known.
It only takes a taste to crave his venom.

He warms you like the sun,
and masks his flames in fun.
The temporary rush begins reshaping.

The fixes start to run,
they're blending into one.
Your thoughts begin to cloud behind escaping.

With hunger on the rise,
he feeds you tender lies.
To grow your appetite for what he's serving.

The fear of your demise

is heard in distant cries.
But louder growls the need and it's unnerving.

And soon your life becomes,
the instrument he strums.
You're running out of ways to keep him playing.
You're scrounging just for crumbs,
and suffer till it numbs.
A cost you can't afford but keep on paying.

And now, you're in too deep,
the high won't seem to keep.
He's pushing you beyond the point of breaking.
The sickness that you reap
it penetrates your sleep.
Ashamed of what you'd do to keep from aching.

Unquenchable, the thirst,
and soon you're bound to burst.
The rubber stretches thin, but you keep filling.
You drain a tap that's cursed,
the poison is dispersed.
One day it overflows and just keeps spilling.

And when your heart is stilled,
the pain will only build.
In death, you pass your burden to the grieving.
For once the snake has killed,
it spreads what has been spilled.
The venom reaches far beyond your leaving.

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Recognized

#12
April
2024

Silent Voices: verses of personification

The topic of this piece is deeply significant to me. While I've never directly experienced addiction, I've witnessed its devastating effects on someone I loved very much. As many of you know, my sister was just 24 years old when she lost her fight after years of battling.

The inspiration behind this personification comes from a particular conversation I had with her during one of her attempts to get clean. I remember asking her to help me understand. I wanted her to try and describe its hold on her. Her response is one that stuck with me.

Consumed by emotion, she spoke in words that conveyed a complex mix of deep affection and pure hatred- as though it were a lover she was utterly enamored with yet also despised with a passion.

She would also often refer to it as a snake.

Pays one point and 2 member cents.

Artwork by Raoul D'Harmental at FanArtReview.com

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Addiction Personified

A chapter in the book Silent Voices

Venom

by Jessica Wheeler

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