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splinterswerve
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
splinterswerve.hotmail.com

by Christopher Major

He looks old,
sick and frail.
Words which seem
too heavy for his mouth
slide from lop- sided lips
on a trickle of spit.
"Hate the stuff now." he slurs.
"Hate the stuff."

I steer the conversation
to better times,
before dependency,
when he could
take or leave it.

Outside the window
teens swill beer;
never anticipate it
becoming a necessity.
He lifts a gnarled
and withered hand
to rip one open,
be reminded
of what's lost,
and of his dependency.

"Hate it." He moans,
"Hate it."
"Bloody Velcro......"