He sits under the stars late at night

Up against a brick wall

Breathing slowly

Waiting for the feeling of the liquor from the bottle to hit his lips and travel to his brain

Till he no longer feels cold

the only thing he feels is shame.

He looks up at the little white specks that can only been seen at night

Wonders why he never puts up a fight

A battle against addictive pleasure and sorrow

He tries to pull himself back up

But realize there is no use because the strength of the 90 proof pulls him down

Set steady to the ground

With his vision blurred

He stays where he sits, only to wonder

Why he couldn’t stop the liquor from taking everything he’s got

He wants to cry out

But just can’t

There’s nothing left for him to shed

Because no matter what he does, he will always feel dead

Until the thought of her sunshine hair

Making his world seem a little less unfair.

He wonders what she dreams at night

And whether or not she dreams of him

The days when he took her to the forest

And watched her play

The talks of fairies, bears, goblins, and butterflies,

Explore her mind

The most beauty he has ever seen

He takes out the only thing he keeps with him at all times

A photo with eyes so green .

He smiles and feels at peace

And whispers

“Dear God, keep my daughter safe

because right now my world had been misplaced

I don’t want her to see me lacking my fatherly strength.

I ask you to send a message to her of love and faith

I pray”.

He closes his eyes to find his stable mind

He no longer is drunk off sorrow

but drunk off his daughters imagination Intelligently innocent

He begins to stand

Pulling himself from the mud

He feels hope flowing through his blood