“We need you to identify the body”
Those were the words I heard at the hospital where my son had been taken that January afternoon in 1973. He had been under my sole supervision and had swallowed a plastic cap which had lodged in his throat. The cause of his death was listed as asphyxiation. I had been in an alcohol induced blackout and wasn’t even aware of what had happened. I was already alcoholic, but I am sure the guilt I carried from that day forward, played a large role in my staying in the bottle for the next 35 years. In the middle of the night on June 8th, 2008, my son Aaron returned to me with a message. I haven’t had a drink since that enlightenment happened. I could not go back to sleep and wrote the words to ‘Spreading Love’, the first poem written and found on page 1 of this book. Every poem in this collection has come to me in similar fashion, though not as profound. Not one single piece in this volume was written with thought. All have come to me while experiencing life’s joyful and confusing moments. I want to assure you that I claim no particular writing skill and you will certainly find misspelling and incorrect punctuation. My hope is that you or a loved one will be able to ‘compare in’ and understand that no matter what, you are not alone. No matter what is going on, it is not necessary to take a drink or a drug. Please join with me on this wonderful journey in recovery.
