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The Matter of His Own Skin
The purveyor of cocaine is almost always a coward, especially in the matter of his own skin. - "The scourge of cocaine", The Times; April 25, 1922
Some say the darkest minds
are those that bend
towards profit only.
Depravity is born of human urge,
but caught bleeding and then deformed,
directed into satisfaction formed
in ugliness, terror.
But simple numbers rising like
an arch towards Heaven, even when
the firmament was long ago surpassed,
reflect a heart of everlasting ice.
A slice of sickness too bound up
with nature to be picked apart.
Some say the darkest minds
are those that bend
towards profit only.
Depravity is born of human urge,
but caught bleeding and then deformed,
directed into satisfaction formed
in ugliness, terror.
But simple numbers rising like
an arch towards Heaven, even when
the firmament was long ago surpassed,
reflect a heart of everlasting ice.
A slice of sickness too bound up
with nature to be picked apart.
Published 25th Apr 2022
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25th Apr 2022 7:46pm
I feel like this kind of topic is new for you. At least I can’t remember really reading one like this from you.
Drugs are hard to accept, especially when users are the people we love and care about. I’ve always tried my hardest to be patient and to listen to those that drugs effect, but it’s very hard. I guess we never know what’s going on in the life of those who use, and I try my best to keep that in mind.
That ending summarises things exceptionally well here. We just don’t know how deep the metaphorical rabbit hole goes.
Thanks for sharing this one
-M
Drugs are hard to accept, especially when users are the people we love and care about. I’ve always tried my hardest to be patient and to listen to those that drugs effect, but it’s very hard. I guess we never know what’s going on in the life of those who use, and I try my best to keep that in mind.
That ending summarises things exceptionally well here. We just don’t know how deep the metaphorical rabbit hole goes.
Thanks for sharing this one
-M
25th Apr 2022 8:25pm
Thank you for your kind and thoughtful reply! For me, although the news article was the jumping off point, the poem was rather about criminals in general who destroy lives for purely financial as opposed to compulsive/psychotic reasons, from certain drug dealers to phone scammers who prey on the elderly. I’m so pleased that you found your own interpretation here, and thank you for sharing it with me.
