The Pipe: Poetry of Recovery

By Russell Pelletier

This book came about due to the encouragement of the authors friends and relatives. They felt the people in recovery could find some inspiration and enjoyment from it. The author feels the book is a success if it helps even one person.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Mar 19, 2016
• ISBN: 9781504986571

Russell Pelletier

The author was born in New York City and moved to Virginia in 1955. He went to school in Fairfax and Alexandria, Virginia. He is a retired transit employee with thirty-four years of service. He began writing in 1971. An avid outdoorsman, he still operates an outdoor equipment business from his home in Woodbridge, Virginia, where he still resides with his wife, Nancy, and their children. His future goal is to publish the children’s stories he has written.

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© 2016 Russell Pelletier. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 03/19/2016

ISBN: 978-1-5049-8658-8 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5049-8656-4 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-5049-8657-1 (e)

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Contents

The Pipe

The Cracked Glass

Free Advice

It’s All Good

Ripples

The Sparrow

Islands Are Lonely

Pages

Feelings

Balance

The Truth of My Strength

The Bumble Bee of Chaos

The Road to Recovery

The Hidden Things

Time

It’s Only a Mistake

To Have What They Have

God Drives the Bus

Lean On Me

The Path

The Struggle

A Lesson

Steps

Emerging

The Mirror

Shake It Off

Catch Up Mode

The Search

The Committee

Comfort Zone

Equals

Surrender

The Raft of Recovery

The Slap That Doesn’t Sting

Favor

The Cost of Anger

The Way of the Hawk

Once Upon a Time

A Hole in the Water

I Just Can’t Help Myself

The Time is Always Right

Instructions

Table for One

No One Ever Returned

Thank You for Right Now

Guilt Trip

Nightmare

Getting By

Growing

Letting Go

Courage Knows Fear

Listening

Willing

Own It

Scars

Sleep On It

Greet the Dawn Like a Dog

Dividends

Soaring

I’m Never Alone

The Getaway

What is Real

Looking After Me

Stepping Stone

Scarecrow of Fear

Don’t Get Pulled In

Projecting

Turn on the Light

Acceptance

The Plan

Voice Mail

Too Much to Do

Keep Smiling

The Puzzle

The Gift

A Single Blade of Grass

Reruns

How Much

Oasis of Peace

A Piece of My Mind

The Eye of Envy

The Spoken Heart

The Chain

Do Something

Coasting

Desperately Busy

I’ll Play These

Lamp of Faith

What Would I Change

Blessings in Disguise

Good Enough

The Cherry Tree

Goodbye Norman

One Day

Lists

Remember

It’s Never Too Late

The Garden of Fear

I’ll Take the Good

Good, Better, Best

In My Head

I Knew It Was Coming

They Ain’t Looking

If Only Things Were Different

The Beauty of Ordinary Days

What Happened to Today

The Way of Light

Don’t Sleep On Your Anger

Is Silence Better Than a Lie?

So Close

The Time is Now

Sanctuary

It Is What It Is

Back to Square One

Silence – The Original

It’s Not Personal

The Noose of Self Doubt

The Hand of Gratitude

If Only

For Your Enjoyment

That Sweet Old Dog

Tubby the Bluegill

What Color is a Shadow

The Last Pear

The Sweetest Dream

The Blanket

Mosquito Hawk

Beware the Moors

Daughter to the Stars

America’s Monument

Otter Games

Teach Your Children

The Gnome of Clutter

Tears

Masters of Darkness

El Tigre

Thadeus and Mouse/Surprise Party

Forward

This book is dedicated to all the people seeking recovery from addiction, and to those who live with and are friends of them.

Good luck, good health, God bless.

Acknowledgement

This book was only possible because of the support of my wife Nancy, my best friend, Alice, and Sonny, a family member, whose computer skills brought the project together.

The Pipe

When I say things that people like,

I find it very odd,

that people give me credit for what belongs to God.

God is the author of all I say,

I just pass the word along.

For me to take the credit would be arrogant and wrong.

Let others pat their own backs.

I am not the type.

I know His words are the water and I am just the pipe.

I’m thankful for the gift I’m given,

but I’m always quite aware.

I know who gave it to me and who put