A Prayer On My 30th Day Sober

By, Fran B.

Great Spirit, make my eyes clearer each day
Right my vision
Heal my broken heart
Help me to know that tears won’t kill me, but smoke and alcohol will
Help me to learn to love myself
Help me find hope and a new way of life
Give me a purpose—a reason to go on that runs deeper
A through line
A thread that leads all the way back to my soul that will pull me out of the dark.
Thank you for 30 days.
Thank you for today.

Published in A New Leaf – February 2025

  • Surrender

    Written by, Anonymous In reality, there is only one thing you dread: letting yourself fall, taking the step beyond all the securities that exist.  And whosoever surrenders himself one single time, whoever has practiced the great act of confidence and entrusted himself to fate, is liberated.  He no longer obeys the laws of earth; he…

    Surrender
  • Addicts on Wheels

    Written by, Brian K. As the sun played hide and seek with the low level clouds hovering over the Southland, a group of MA members gathered in the parking lot of Venice Beach for District Six’s first scheduled bicycle ride on September 21st. Packing lunches and water bottles, the riders pumped up their tires, strapped…

    Addicts on Wheels
  • GREEN DRAGON

    Written by, Joel I find I must be wary of dragonsBecause some are recognizable,And some are notOnce in my youthA green oneCame alongChameleon-like with charmBreathed his vapors on meAnd smelling their sweetnessI rode with scaley scaley visionsReplacing all of my dreamsWith empty drago smokeI couldn’t seeThat under the tie dye and love beadsA sinister reptile…

    GREEN DRAGON
  • The Day Has Come

    Written by, Anonymous The day has come to take an accounting of my life. Have I dreamed of late of the person I want to be, of the changes I would make in my daily habits, in the way I am with others? Have I reviewed my vision of the world I want to live…

    The Day Has Come
  • Thoughts from the Field: The First Step

    Written by, Anonymous I am a marijuana addict because when using pot, it was the most important thing in my life. More important than anyone or anything. It helped to suppress all the inadequacies I felt. It helped me not to feel the pain of not living up to expectations. It enabled me not to…

    Thoughts from the Field: The First Step
  • Yom Kippur and Sukkot

    Written by, Ellen B. As a Marijuana addict in recovery, my Jewish High Holyday season has a natural connection to working the Twelve Steps and practicing the spiritual principles daily. A New Leaf requested submissions for Yom Kippur and Sukkot, therefore this piece of writing will only focus on these parts of the holiday season.…

    Yom Kippur and Sukkot