Crystals
Magnificent microscopic mirrors
Magic molecules of symmetry
With melodious words to match
Rhombic dodecahedron
Holosymmetric hexagonal
Tetrahedra and monoclinic
Purity and perfection
Produce hue, tone and color to
The Graff pink and blue Star of India
Incomparable Koh-I-Noor
Flawless, immaculate
Crystal-clear
Then comes
Crystal meth
Every adjective turned on its head
Methamphetamine interloper
With close relative Adderall
Destroy symmetry of life
Shards replace jewels, speed for calmness
Street-made crystals, impure, imperfect
Change rhombic to zombic
Hedron to hydra
Later monoclinic to multiclinic
Maybe Clink changes it’s meaning
As the short-cut to maturity
Turns into the long journey to oblivion
Addiction and justification
Go hand-in-hand
A slow courtship at first
Quietly proud among peers
Welcomed by those already debased
But kept secret from those who care
Abhorrent to those who understand
The devastation just around the corner
As families disintegrate, those
Who have done everything to
Provide the loving basis of life.
This selfish self-destruction
Can shatter true crystals
Perhaps only the Mother of Pearl can survive
Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA, March 2017
