Sobriety

Another late night draws to a close for a delinquent
Rebel, confronted by the rumors of a pregnant dawn
That gilds the eastern sky, while a languid moon hovers
Above the lazy river and the looming palisades beyond

Cool dew sweet air chills sleepless skin, aching feet fall
Are trudged and stumbled through a kingdom of birdsong,
While his own voice was sunken into a clutch of pitiful, sad,
Hoarse, wasted groanings, mired in regret and remorse.

Enlightenment crashes against this reckless, misguided youth,
Patiently waiting to break in and for him to finally shrug away
The weight of so many meaningless slogs, spent, in the troughs
Of desperate abandon, until reckoning to abandon desperation.

Like a chanted mantra, “There is a light that never goes out,”
Echoes across the years, summoning him from his darkness,  
Encouraging him to bask in hopeful serenity, embracing  sobriety,
Grateful as night fades away and for every blessing that follows.