Read Poetry: DRUNKLE, by Justin Carter 

Uncle woke up on his steering wheel
His front tooth was knocked right out
The crash wasn’t another driver’s fault
It was his consumption of vodka, wine and stout

Uncle climbed out of his automobile
The car was wrapped around a tree
Smoke billowed from the mangled wreck
Uncle necked the last of his whiskey.

Uncle stumbled to the off-licence
He grabbed booze, some more sour mash
But to get his trembling hands on the goods
He had to bribe the clerk with all his cash

Uncle staggered toward his Sister’s cottage
Dragging his shoes through a fresh dog shit
Sister was going out on a Tinder date
And Uncle was going there to babysit

Uncle was scolded by Sister for running late
Her coat was on, her shoes were laced
But she couldn’t leave Nephew with Uncle now
Because Uncle was blatantly shitfaced.

Uncle’s missing tooth was of great concern
And the smell of booze from his breath was noxious
Sister spotted the sour mash tucked inside his coat
How on Earth was this man still conscious?

Uncle convinced Sister that it was safe for her
To leave young Nephew in his care tonight
He practically shoved his Sister right out the door
She didn’t get the chance to put up a fight.

Uncle polished off his Jacky D
And searched the cottage at his disposal
For some alcohol to top up his buzz
He found none; Sister was teetotal

Uncle noticed his hands were trembling
The walls were closing in all around
Something was tapping at the windows now
Or perhaps he was imagining that sound

Uncle was petrified of the shadowy demons
That crept toward him from every direction
He shrieked, he hid, he sobbed a bit
Another drink right now would be perfection

Uncle couldn’t stand the pain no more
His skin was crawling, what could he do?
Another trip to the off-licence was required
He locked the bedroom door belonging to Nephew

Uncle thought Nephew would be just fine
If he popped out for just a minute
Nephew was quite upset to be prisoner
But if Unc didn’t get a drink he’d lose it.

Uncle arrived at the Off-License to buy his booze
But alas his wallet was empty
The clerk yelled, “Sling yer hook, Piss ‘ead”
But Uncle was desperate for that alcoholic bevvy

Uncle grabbed the clerk and swung clenched fists
And repeatedly bashed his face
The body dropped onto the Off-Licence floor
And his wounds bled all over the place

Uncle stumbled back into the cottage
His body trembling, it must be cold
So he went to chop some fire wood
He grabbed the axe and was out of control

Uncle tried his best but messed it up
He went back inside to whet his whistle
But found his nephew had spilled his drink
And Uncle flew at him like a guided missile

Uncle still had the axe gripped in his hand
He tossed his Nephew onto the carpet
“How dare you fuck with my drink,
You whiny little piece of shit!”

Uncle swung the axe to chop him up
He did so with all of his drunken might
But Sister burst in through the front door
To stop him and be hero that night

Sister grabbed an empty bottle of Unc’s
And did some swinging of her own
The bottle made contact with Uncle’s head
And split the flesh right down to the bone

Uncle hit the ground, unconscious now
The axe fell from his open grasp
Sister grabbed her boy and held him tight
“You’re safe. Momma’s home at last.”

Uncle was carted off by Police that night
For acting thoroughly indecent
He was lucky and escaped jail time
But he was advised to seek some treatment

Uncle stands before a group quite often
Sharing his experiences and feeling melancholic
Ashamed of the sickness that took hold so tight
“My name’s Bob and I’m an alcoholic.”