It's A Cruel Master Poem by Leria Hawkins

Date: September 18,2021
By: Leria Hawkins

Addiction, a cruel master,
I never dreamt it'd be me
the one always hungry, anxious,
relentlessly seeking the next fix

I had a plan, you see, a strict set of rules
and a spine that could cut diamonds
Who knew, I could be so very, very weak,
so easily taken down by a whisper,
a knowing glance…a sexy smile

Call it what you will…addiction, obsession
Any meaning of the word will do,
Perhaps it's a natural groove in my psyche
or a slow tick echoing endlessly across the forest of my mind

Obsession it seems, my ruthless puppeteer,
leaves me tied and tangled in a mountain of strings
always singing for my supper
or hanging on every word, every breathless sigh
like it's a lifeline to my soul

And who knew I'd be so thirsty,
craving the taste of bittersweet wine,
always a bit too keen to drink the nectar,
the flavors of sweet cream and honey

I never thought, I'd return over and over
to the well of grand illusions,
lapping the waves like a thirsty puppy,
my belly full but drinking just the same.
Who knew, I'd be me?

And then there's passion, my friend or my foe?
It's a question I ask myself often,
I've thought long and hard, but I'm still weighing the odds
My conclusions shaky, I'm wary of both

While I've long recognized the smoke, and
the slow smolder behind liquid eyes
And I know the voice, smooth as angels singing
I've never quite understood the fire, the flame,
or the rage unleashed at a single touch

And while speaking of fire,
It's the one, the reason, the red-hot culmination of it all,
the maker of my wildest dreams, the destroyer of my heart.
It's an Addiction, an Obsession, a Passion, a Fire
And it burns me every single time…

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Copyright © 2021 Leria Hawkins, All Rights Reserved