Renewed Recovery

 

Renewed Recovery

 

I’ve been sober before—

when I was young.

I had to do it because

otherwise,

I would’ve died.

But I was too young.

Not to die.

Life has no qualms

about that. I was too young

for sobriety, too young

for clean, too young

to understand

the weight of that choice.

Now you watch me

sizzle back and forth between states.

I’m like an egg cooking,

shifting between runny and viscous,

whites mixing with yolk, until

I’m all one piece, broken,

but together. Melded.

You know it’s time.

I know it’s time.

I can only hope there’s still time

for you to see me

in one piece.

 

Nicole Bird

Nicole's career began with a degree in Creative Writing. Her focus then shifted to garnering degrees in Film Production and Screenwriting. Afterwards, Nicole worked in film, while writing and producing her own short films. Now, Nicole works as a Creative Writing professor and is currently at work on a collection of poetry, as well as honing her gluten free baking skills developed during the 2020 quarantine.