Peter Schireson: Kindling

It was a long time ago, 

but I still fail to grasp

what can happen

to a child

in a moment, 

still smell 

the tang of alcohol 

on the driver’s breath.

First angry,

slowly numb,

even years later,

I still feel

nothing. 

Many mornings,

I sit hunched over in silence, 

meditating on nothing, 

waiting to combust.

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Ed. Note:  If an alcoholic repeatedly goes through alcohol withdrawal, then over time the symptoms he or she experiences will become more severe. This is caused by a chemical process known as kindling which is comparable to a fire that starts with only a small amount of wood, but soon becomes uncontrollable.

Peter Schireson is an ordained Zen Buddhist priest and dharma lineage holder, having trained in both the U.S. and Japan.

Copyright 2020 Peter Schireson