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Sober Promises   
by Carley Anderson

​

The story always begins with one too many.

An incident labeled an accident.

Excuses made in the early hours.  

Silence filled with sober promises. 

 

An incident labeled an accident while 

truth lies in the cracks of the bathroom floor.

Silence broken with sober promises, 

sober promises proven to be empty gestures.

 

Truth lies in the cracks of the bathroom floor 

where suppressed misery is laid bare and

sober promises are revealed to be empty gestures. 

A voice cries and pleads for a reprieve.  

 

Suppressed misery is laid bare to 

loved ones cemented in the doorway. 

Their voices cry and plead for a reprieve

from the bitter blends of red and white.  

 

Loved ones sit cemented in place,

bracing for the sudden impact. 

The bitter blends of red and white 

stain the set lip of stone. 

 

Bodies braced for the sudden impact 

of knuckles against hard metal,

a stain on the curve of a hood, 

a bruise that will be forgotten. 

 

The story always ends with one too many.

​

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