A Poem of sorts

It got better
December 13, 2013


(A fictional persona of course, because if I were in AA I'd be anonymous)


Today I have 30 years
of sobriety in AA.
30 years ago December 13th
in 1983 I drank a beer, my second or third and went home
and skipped a nightcap.
The next day I wrote myself sober
in a journal
I used to think on paper.
Yeah I should, I wrote, why not?

And I went home and
I didn't drink and the next day
I called a counselor
and we made an appointment---
for the following week
and I didn't drink.

Go to AA
he said
and a day later I did.
St Francis of Assisi Church
in Atwater
a gay meeting, I didn't know.
A warmup speaker
said no matter how hard he tried
it got worse and then he didn't drink
and it got better
and if he doesn't drink
it gets better.
And I heard that.
And I didn't drink

A week,
a month,
60 days,
a sponsor,
90 days,
six months
and a year
and I didn't drink
and it got better.

I served coffee
I became a sponsor
I made friends
I started to grow up
I was the secretary of a meeting
I became a board member
of a recovery house
I attended meetings
and I didn't drink.
And it got better
I got to leave the bank branch on the Sunset Strip,
my bottom in banking,
I got a job in a decent bank
I became a Vice President
I had a reputation,
a good one,
I knew people,
I got things done.
My kids grew up
I quit banking,
became a juvenile hall counselor
and then a Park Ranger,
a park cop,
I had a daughter unexpectedly,
I had a heart attack,
I turned 65,
I retired
and I didn't drink.

And today I have 30 years.
It's true
the way to get to be an old timer
in AA is
don't drink
and don't die.