Not a drop has touched my lips 
I haven’t had that ‘fix’
no sips, no spirits, no wine, no beer
Twenty one when I first said, “One day I’ll be sober at least for a year”
“I can see myself 30 and quitting the game”
But 25 came
I had a chance to reframe 
the time gap that I proposed

An excuse? Well it could be. Who knows?

So in a moment of strength, or madness,
(you decide)
in my notebook, I set out some new rules to abide

• No drinking, not one
• Still be social, 
• Still have fun,

A chance to interact with loved ones unharmed
by the anxiety of standing in a pub unarmed

And, as I learnt what it felt to be sober
A taxi home without asking the driver to pull over
I stopped counting the days

A shift

Then, weeks started to pass slower…
I felt healthy, I felt freedom –
But here’s full disclosure
Addiction mutated; Obsessions were new,
A changed concept of attachment for myself to work through.

But the joy of my knowing, 
my caring, 
and showing 
my body the value of aging,
And growing 

I felt proud of my 6 months of soft drinks in Socials
Proud of testing a lifestyle 

One hundred and eighty three is the total

you can listen or scroll, moving on unconcerned
but I ask you: consider what state you affirm
there’s a choice that you make,
When you question habit’s sake
there’s no better or worse’ just a stigma to shake
But i hope that this truth, this chance to reflect 
will help you to know no habits are totally hard-set.

Reflecting