Sometimes it isn’t about who we were It’s about who we became in the process They never asked how much it hurt They never want to know how many tears fell How many years wasted dwelling per sufferable action They only want to hear us say we’re okay Not because they don’t care Because they can’t answer honesty Lost to time is what our emotions become Ignored and unchecked Lost to the cold snow We seem to wander forever Each print a memory of our last moment with the one we called our person Maybe it isn’t about the memory Maybe it’s about the appreciation Maybe it’s about the pain we felt in the moment Maybe it’s everything we never saw Maybe it’s what we never believed In the end it’s what we ignored A simple mistake or misuse can divide a country What can it do for the ones we love Only allow them to show we aren’t worth the ticking seconds provided by the holy one

From painful addiction to sorrowful sobriety Moment by moment Living in grievous shadows to light I cannot fathom Moment by moment Slip up by slip up to say “recovery isn’t liner” Moment by moment From drunken stumbles and rage fueled angst To silent dark night tears Moment by moment They always told me it gets better when you get sober Maybe situations but not the feeling we carry Addiction isn’t about the substance it’s about the pain we attempted to bury

Losing my mind piece by piece to seclusion “Im sorry but thank you” Thinking of permanent darkness surrounded by my sin “I’m sorry but thank you” The word forbidden by internet means crowding my brain as voices tell me my worthless nature “I’m sorry but thank you” I see the ghosts outside my vision getting I closer and closer as the walls melt “I’m sorry but thank you” Leaving the darkness always known to be present isn’t escape it’s leaving to it someone else who no longer had the breath to say I need you

Snow falls carrying the promise of my last name Lost to time are the sentences of grace upon another Left behind to aggravation and disloyalty Hatred and blindness took me instead I became what I feared and you became lost to me To me it was a game to you it was final To me I had time to you it was time Alcoholism brought us to the end of the line While it always stayed by my side to the end of mine

Congratulations to @Jasmon Flowe for earning this week's Poem of the Week with his powerful piece, "The Honest." Some poems entertain us. Others make us stop and think. The Honest does both. Jasmon explores the complicated nature of truth how it can be gentle as a butterfly one moment and devastating as a tornado the next. It's a poem that stays with you long after you've finished reading it. One thing I especially appreciate is that Jasmon shared this as a work in progress. It reminds all of us that poetry doesn't have to be perfect before it has value. Sometimes the first spark is the most powerful part of the journey. Congratulations, Jasmon, and thank you for sharing your voice with this community. We can't wait to read the finished version. Everyone, join me in celebrating this week's winner in the comments! 👏🖋️