Dear Mary Jane,

Written by, Anonymous

I am done. I’m done wasting every single moment of every day getting high. You will not steal any more time away from me. For the last eight years of my life, you were my best friend, my partner, my home. You were my safety. You were everything to me, but you also stole from me everything that was precious in my life. All of the money I had saved, I spent it on you. All the love I had to give, I wasted on you. The countless days, months, and years that I gave to you. What did I get in return? Nothing. 

For each thing that I thought you gave me (happiness, relief, escapism), you took a thousand more away. I lost my dreams, goals, and ambitions. You stole my independence. You stole my emotions. You stole my ability to learn how to cope with my feelings or even the most minor of inconveniences. I didn’t apply for a job because you were more important to me. I didn’t go out to celebrate birthdays, holidays, you name it. All because I couldn’t stand to be away from you for even an hour. I was a miserable and spiteful human being who couldn’t fathom doing anything without being high. Our time is done. MY time is done. You won’t ever take that away from me again. We are not partners, nor are we friends. I’m taking my time back.

Published in A New Leaf – June 2025

  • Stopwatch

    Created By, Anonymous Published By A New Leaf – March 2026

    Stopwatch
  • Heard in a Meeting

    “Don’t tell your Higher Power you have a big problem, tell your problem you have a big Higher Power/God.” Published by A New Leaf – March 2026

    Heard in a Meeting
  • But What If…

    Written By Anthony As I sit in this first day of sobriety, laying in the bed waiting to get sleepy after taking a sleep aid, I’m thinking to myself “But what if I lose it all from disconnecting from everything and everyone?” Only to realize that those what-ifs are what’s kept me trapped for so…

    But What If…
  • Gripped by Green

    Written by, Amy K. Chaos crowned my childhood years,a crown of grief, a flood of tears.Mum was gone before I knewhow fragile love, how brief, how true. At eight, the world was cracked and cold,foster hands, but none to hold.Brother lost to darker fires,needles, powders, failed desires. I found my comfort in the haze,at twelve…

    Gripped by Green
  • A Simple Conversation

    Written by, Michael J. A fellow’s post reminded me of a simple conversation I had this morning with the love of my life. It was about how taking something non-narcotic to help me sleep only works if I take it about once a month. If taken more often than that, it does nothing. That simple…

    A Simple Conversation
  • Poem

    Written by, Jessyka C. Mary Jane,My beloved, my wife, my true love,I’m so sad to be leaving you behind, turning down a different lane,But I know I can do better than you, eventually, although you do send me above,I feel I need to be on the straight and narrow for a little while,Take some time…

    Poem