What’s obvious 
is merely a distraction – 
it points away 
from the truth 
lying deep within. 
Don’t get me wrong – 
it’s great that you quit drinking 
and now show up 
at your son’s soccer games – 
but know this: 
the pride 
the self-pity 
the conceit 
the fear 
and 
the shame
will not lie long within 
now that the distraction is gone. 
You might as well 
go ahead 
and 
excavate now 
before they coax you back 
to the nearest watering hole.