I came defeated, demoralized,
victimized by my addiction.
Powerless over my lover
cum stalker, unmanageable
an incongruous understatement,
Step One stood a rock-solid given.
Sure, I’d toss that to any power,
higher, lower, alien, hostile.
Take it, please! Take the addiction;
my life will bloom again.

So why the other eleven?
Why the talk of life and will,
of resentment, fear, of amends?
The addiction’s gone, thank you
very much. I’m through.
A hyphen? Yes, I see that.
Truth be told, it’s a dash. So what?
“Denotes a sudden change in
construction or sentiment”
or “indicates what’s not expected,
not a natural outcome of what’s
gone before.” OUR LIVES
have become unmanageable?
This POWER wants my LIFE?