The Paddock Review

Moments

 

 

They say geographical cures don’t work.

I was learning the wrong language all along.

I took you to a cottage beneath black palms

orange raspberries beneath our window

 

sweet jasmine curling into crushing hope.

You surfed silver highways looking for something never found.

 

Do the language of love and addiction intersect somewhere?

I sold the cottage and came home. When I returned it was

plowed under.

 

Even the black palms gone. Jasmine came

to remind me we’d had moments of happiness.

…..

This poem is from the book The Last Bed by Lee Varon (Finishing Line Press), and can be found at https://www.finishinglinepress.com/product/the-last-bed-by-lee-varon/

Whether its serving those who come to a soup kitchen to receive a warm meal and some respite from the streets, taking solace in observing birds in nature, dealing with her own son’s addiction as he cycles in and out of rehab, or sitting with other parents in support groups, Lee Varon depicts the harsh realities of an epidemic that is gripping many in our country. The Last Bed is also about grit, tenacity and fortitude. Varon shows the reader that even in the most difficult circumstances there is beauty and hope. Ultimately this book is about strength and resilience; frayed relationships are often mended and recovery grows roots and takes hold for many.