Hi Tribe Family and Friends, i wrote the poems out i found today going through stuff looking for pictures of my Dad’s life for his Memorial we will be holding next Saturday here in Arizona. i have a few more i will add someday when i can locate the folder i had in treatment. i think there was only 2 or 3. but looking back when i wrote those i was not clean even in the joint. i spent my last six months in prison clean so i could make parole. that was febuary of 1981. it does not matter how long i was in. i did not learn a thing. i came out as angry as i came in. i fought my disease for nine more years before i ran outr of options. i had done the jails and institutions, so Death was the only thing left for me. when i got clean i had a wife, owned a home, had 2 kids. one of those kids is 21 today and is currently locked up. i hope and pray that someday he’ll find the rooms of Recovery like i did. i can’t make up for all the time i served. those days are gone and wasted. but today i can carry a strong message of experience, strength and hope.

yes the lie is dead we do recover. it takes willingness, desire, open mindedness and honesty. life does get better. if your in your first 30days or first six months hang onto your ass with both hands as you are in for the roller coaster ride of your life. my addict is still doing one armed pushups behind my back. 20 years of clean time does not mean shit if you don’t freely give away what has been given to you. give the newcomer your phone number, be grateful if you get a call in the middle of the night. as least the person on the other end of the phone is not using. stay clean and be good to yourself.

In Recovery 4 Life,

JJ