"Safety Valve"

Serenity's not a word
That I ever used to use
In fact I'd never really heard of it
Until I tried on my sobriety shoes.
Now over fifteen years later
I can still turn to A.A.
Last night I went to a rare meeting
To listen and have my say.
I'm not one of those who religiously
But they stop me going crazy
My sort of safety valve
When my thoughts go a bit hazy.
My Football Club appears fucked
Which doesn't help my head
I've really got a good mate
Who I'm afraid will soon be dead.
Even though I'm sure I won't
I'm scared I'll pick up a drink
You won't believe thoughts in my head
Don't know what to think.
I can go to an A.A. meeting
Total strangers sat around
It's where I feel most at home
Outside of a football ground.
An old friend once told me
My problem's I think too much
And now when I do that
Alcoholics Anonymous is my crutch.
I might not relate to everything
Once I'm through that door
It's where I escape and calm down
That's what I use them for.
When my head feels like exploding
There's more than one way to skin a cat
It's either a bit of poetry
Or the rooms of A.A. to be sat.

Dulwich Poet 5th January 2018

(Tonight I went to a meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous. It's not very often I get to them nowadays.)