The Take-Over
John Robinson
        
We’ve never met, just
telephone conversations,
she lives in an apartment
in a small rural village,
serious drug problems,
dealers and addicts
calling constantly,
neighbours complaining
of anti-social behaviour
on a daily basis: she
took an overdose of
prescribed medication,
hospitalised to a special
drug-rehab unit in
the city: she’s late 20’s,
clean for over 90 days,
has weekend leave and
always produces a
pure specimen upon
returning: then she
was moved to a hospital
closer to home, she
goes AWOL, takes 3
bags of heroin, some cocaine
and crack-cocaine, the
hospital discharge her in
her absence, the drug
dealers have taken-over her
home, they own her now,
we never met,
but she sounded like a sweet
and troubled young woman,
she sounded gentle and
strongly committed to
change her life, she told me
she wanted a better life,
a normal life, a life
worth living, that’s what
she told me,
just a week ago.