Altered States

I grew up in an altered state,

a family of alcoholic schizophrenics,

a real Albee production,

so, my normal was not normal.

It was a blessing not to believe

in anything my parents said:

I never believed what anyone said;

I had to find the truth myself.

I sought the path of meditation 

to help me with my aberrations.

I was still nostalgic for my

childhood nightmare, so I drank 

and took drugs to keep my old

crazy going while it was being

dismantled. Eventually, meditation

caused my drinking to stop. Drugs

lost their appeal.

Fifty years to get back to being five,

when I was open and alive

and ready for life.

The pain is not even a memory 

now…just someone else’s story.