Written By, Mark S.

I lit the leaf to calm my mind,
But found my soul grew more confined.
A fleeting peace, a fleeting high,
Yet every dawn, the well ran dry.

The smoke became a binding chain,
A silent thief that numbed my pain.
It whispered lies, “You’ll be set free,”
While tightening its grip on me.

Dreams delayed, and days grew dim,
My future blurred on every whim.
The fire that once lit my youth,
Was buried deep beneath untruth.

But mercy came, a gentle call,
A higher hand to break the thrall.
I breathed again, the air was sweet,
The chains lay shattered at my feet.

Now freedom sings where smoke once stayed,
A brighter path, by grace, is laid.
No longer trapped, no longer tricked—
I rise, no more Marijuana Addict.

Published by ANL – November 2025