Whenever Pain

Isolating doesn’t stop pain,
doesn’t ward off fear,
doesn’t mend hearts.
I know. I tried.
How many times,
how many years
I tried.

Addiction doesn’t stop pain,
doesn’t ward off fear,
doesn’t mend hearts.
I know. I tried.
How many times,
how many years
I tried.

Recovery stops pain,
wards off fear,
mends hearts.
I know. I’ve tried.
It works.
Whenever I think
of trying isolation,
of seeking comforts of old
I remember
the times, the years
I tried.