THE GROUP

I sit in group, silent now for days
Listening to the others share
My mind is in a haze
When suddenly I am asked to speak,
My breathing stops right there
My heart begins to beat much faster
It seems more than I can bear
Perspiration on my forehead beads
My anxiety on the rise
And I very quickly state,
"This is all I f~~~~~~ need"

I take a breath, and blurt it out
The words rush out, apparently on their own
I can't believe I'm telling all
It's like a boxing bout
A blow by blow description
Of the many years of drinking
Absorbed in my addiction
I let it out, those secrets from my past
Then suddenly it's over

The words just seem to stop
My breathing slows, back to a steady pace
My heart is back to normal
Though perspiration saturates my clothes
I quickly grasp a tissue
Wipe away the tears, and gently blow my nose
I'm glad it was my peers
In whom I did confide
Now I feel a new sensation
I've lost that knot inside.

©Copyright March 16, 1997 by Joesph C. Mercieca

Author’s Note: I wrote this poem whilst in a Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation Centre in 1997, and dedicated to my group of fellow addicts, after an intensive group session. The poem is dedicated to the 'Group' 16 March 1997, Warburton Hospital, Alcohol and Chemical Dependence Unit