Dear Legislators: A Drug Policy Plea

Some drug-related bills are being heard.
Prior attempts left addicts undeterred.
The crisis is real; I hope it’s not terse,
To touch on this subject again in verse.
No one silver bullet can fell a deer
When shot from the edge of the woods in fear.

Please think about our loved ones’ hearts stopping,
Babies crying, snorting lines, pill popping,
Brilliant people in the throes of disease,
Robberies, needles, trauma histories,
Broken families, children neglected,
Dealers, crime, communities infected,
Treatment access, the addicted unborn,
And long overdue corrections reform.

Think of the monk’s words before two lives passed:
Wisely and slow; they stumble that run fast.
(Shakespeare: Romeo and Juliet)

Patricia Callahan

About Patricia Callahan

Trish is a writer who lives in Augusta. She has worked professionally in education and social services.