If Addiction Were A Child
By: Justin Mendoza III

He would come
bringing nothing.
He would be
by himself.
He wouldn't
converse with
anyone.
 
He would wear
tattered clothing.
His hair would
stand up, a wild nest of neglect.
His dirt smudged face would hold
bulging
bloodshot.
eyes.
 
Oblivious to the things
around him,
he’d speak ever so softly
to a someone that wasn't there.
His home would be everywhere
the street, trashcans, cardboard boxes,
the sewers,
suburban homes on tree-lined streets.
 
He would be a specter,
a night owl hidden
in the trees,
a lion crouched
down ready to pounce.
He’d be
Addiction.