"Take another drink and revel in the pain

It's better than thinking anyhow

The burn slides down my throat with every shot

And it's exquisite, how real I know it is

How, even at my worst times, it's by my side

For it is only I that falters.

How many have walked away?

I lost count long ago;

Before Dad's wheelchair

Before Jill

Before my heart was truly broken by the ones I thought cared the most.

Now I find myself thinking only of her,

That soccer angel that has become my beacon of light

While I pour the bottle down the drain

Unbelieving, but hearing her voice clearly:

'It's the smartest thing you've done all day.'

I know she's right---

---that this madness

the years of self-destruction and recklessness has to stop---

---I guess that was I needed to see it."