Feed the White Wolf: A Poetic Battle with Alcoholism and Mental Illness

By Patrick Lahey

Today Patrick Lahey chooses to be sober and to battle the storm. It is his hope that others will also choose to fight while finding their passion, following their dreams, and opening and sharing the gift inside with the world, all while remembering they are loved and never alone.

In a compilation of poems, Lahey raises awareness surrounding the complex battles that accompany addiction and mental illness in order to remind others who may be experiencing similar challenges that the time for healing is now. While serving as an advocate for these issues, Lahey shares poetic insight into his personal struggles with the disease of alcoholism, as well as numerous mental health challenges, to shatter the stigma in our society and bring light to the darkness for those who are suffering.

Feed the White Wolf is a volume of poems that offers a moving lyrical perspective into the challenges surrounding the disease of alcoholism and mental illness.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Sep 10, 2020
• ISBN: 9781663203984

Patrick Lahey

Patrick Lahey was born in Cambridge, Ontario, Canada, and raised in Newfoundland. After thirty-two years of suffering, he is now sober. Today, Patrick works diligently to maintain a healthy balance of sobriety and emotional and mental stability, one day at a time. He lives with his family in Southern Ontario, Canada, along the shores of beautiful Lake Huron.

Book preview

Copyright © 2020 Patrick Lahey.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means,

graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by

any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author

except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

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views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

ISBN: 978-1-6632-0397-7 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6632-0399-1 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-6632-0398-4 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2020913338

iUniverse rev. date: 09/02/2020

Contents

Acknowledgments

Two Wolves – A Cherokee Parable

The Light of My Shadow in the Dark

M and B

Pops

Mom

Rooster

Zeus

Patches

Furballs

SOS

Ljlj

I Awaken

K

snomeD

Forgiveness Mess

Link

Be

LLLEKCJM

A Bad Fucking Day

The Days of My Future Will Not Be My Past

ASDFJ

Immerse

Inspired

Just Fuck Off

Water

Today

The Wall

King Baby.

I

The Key

My Blood

My Blood 2

Rock

Push

A Loving Charm

Not Me

Do Not Know

Still So Dark

Are You Fucking Serious?

No Memory

Homewood

Single

Why

A

Dive in Me

Tree

a time to

Life

Plans Can Be

Spectrum

Four Windows

The Wolf

Beneath the Storm

Awake

Four

18 and 19

The Beginning

629

When I Was 10

When I Was 10 Again

Eleven

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

22

30 to 40, then 43

4 Today 5

The Borderline

Roll on the Coaster

Get Off My Chest

D

A.

The White Wolf

About the Author

For Ayrn and Kian,

my lights in the darkness when all other lights go out.

Acknowledgments

Feed the White Wolf is dedicated to every family member and friend I have lost in my life to alcoholism, narcotics addiction, mental illness or suicide. I pay tribute to them every day by continuing to battle. I cannot do it alone. The memory of their courage gives me hope.

For my mother, who had me promise when I was a young boy, No matter how hard this life gets for you, Paddy, you never stop fighting. I love you, Mom. To my father, thank you for being my hero and for showing me what a man and father should be. I love you, Pops. To my sisters, thank you for always having your little brother’s back. I love you, M and B. To my nieces and nephews, be good.

To the rest of my family, whether in-law or extended, you are loved. Take care of each other. To my friends old and new, thank you for being in my life. To my core four, you know who you are. I love you.

To my children, who are my life, I love being your dad. Thank you for your love and your laughter. I love you, Ayrn and Kian. You have my heart always.

To Cleo, Rooster, Patches, Zeus, Sam and Chase, love always.

Thank you all.

Two Wolves – A Cherokee Parable

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An old Cherokee chief was teaching his