Passion and Emotion

September is National Alcoholism and Drug Addiction Month and on the 17th of September I had the privilege of being the keynote speaker at the recovery event in Hot Springs, Arkansas.

I wrote this poem about my thoughts and excitement leading up to when I started to speak. I was asked by folks how I did and using baseball terms I have said, I didn't hit a home run, nor did I strike out. I would say a solid double in the gap...

Passion And Emotion

A long day in store
a long drive in front of me
a look outside
and I knew prayers...
were being delivered

ten hours later...
a new home... for a weekend
greeted by gold rails...
on the top step
I felt like Rhett Butler

went through the doors...
and stepped back in time
to gangster's and Al Capone's hangout
… The Arlington...

awed by its history and its beauty
in the old elevator
taken to the seventh floor
747... overlooking the town...
Hot Springs...
feeling like Capone looking out his window
waiting for gamblers to celebrate in the street

a stroll combines the old with the new
its a city... a forest... a national park
and yes it does have Hot Springs
the smoke isn't a fire... it's steam
on a cool day... I place my hand in the water
hot water... from a hot spring

what a wonderful journey...
a mini-vacation... yet there was some business to do
a recovery walk... a recovery rally
to celebrate our freedom...
our freedom from addiction

Hi Everybody, my name is Dave Harm and I am an alcoholic

Hi Dave

Two weeks ago today by the Grace of God and the fellowship of people like you, I celebrated my seventeenth year of sobriety.