Crystalline
The perks of being a backup singer
were the free drugs supplied
by folks who’d tend to linger
after the show, back in the hotel room
Finest weed from finest seed
Took her right back to the womb
Times change, from rage to new rage
Thai to cocaine, then rock in a pipe
First hit flew her to an infinite stage
The saddest moment she’d ever know
was a bright shining synapse pinging
Gogogogogogogogogogo
© 2012 Amy Barlow Liberatore
Sharp Little Pencil 
Aaron Kent
This is an awesome read. So true yet I can feel myself wanting to stop the person and show them what will happen when they make the wrong choice. Ignorance isn’t always bliss I suppose.
My new poem:
http://twoinformalfeet.blogspot.com/2012/02/how-stars-are-made.html
Sharp Little Pencil
Ignorance is only bliss if one suffers from the condition!! Thanks so much, Aaron; you are a thorough reader who always has insightful comments. Peace, Amy
…and yes, thanks for the direct link!
brian miller
whew…i ran the race a long time ago…not too hard but enough to scare the crap out of me a few times…band days too…this one gave me shivers….
Sharp Little Pencil
Anyone who’s been there gets it. And those who have not will at least take something away that informs them how it happens… thanks, Brian! Peace, Amy
AudreyHowitt (@AudreyHowitt)
So true! Sad for us all!
Sharp Little Pencil
This one was autobiographical, too. Glad I made it out alive. Lots of folks assumed this was another Whitney post, but I have no idea how far her addictions went. At 55, looking back, I was one stupid 21-year-old… Thanks, Audrey! Amy
Arron Shilling (@ArronShilling)
chasing dragons into retro caves with pete; some nice rythmn and shape to your words and smart ideas; puff enabled wonb wondering – lol – love it 🙂
Sharp Little Pencil
Arron, you are too much. Retro Puffs, ha ha. Thanks for that – although to this day, Peter Yarrow claims it was really a whimsical children’s song. Yeah, and all those mushrooms on HR Puffnstuff were just naturally occurring mushrooms! (wink) Peace, Amy
JulesPaige
Peter, Paul and Mary can disclaim all they want, but supposedly my dad (he should rest) was around when they wrote the piece and it was about ‘puffin’ something! But I suppose when you are trying to put on a good face to the world you can deny anything you want.
Sharp Little Pencil
You should read the book I edited, “Bruce Lee, Woodstock & Me,” by Fred Weinstein. It’s all about the Greenwich Village coffeehouse folkie scene – and he started The Bitter End, the icon of coffeehouses! I’m sure they were puffin something, it sure wasn’t dragons!
Arron Shilling (@ArronShilling)
womb ^^^ (out of context this is a weird comment to post:)
Sharp Little Pencil
No, it’s cool. I appreciate writers who correct their own typos. Womb right back atcha! Er, I mean…
Daydreamertoo
And Whitney Houston is a prime example of that. What a sad end to such a bright star before she became hooked on all that crap.
Sharp Little Pencil
You know, this was autobiographical. Just happened to be the same week as Whitney, and I’m not sure she ever sunk to the rock addiction. I was lucky to have parents who said, “Come home.” Thanks, Amy
hobgoblin2011
You captured an element of the musical world that is there yet, outside of indie portrayals or artists memoirs, is rare spoken of. I love how you opened with the perks, and didn’t linger not a moment before you entered the spiral you illustrated so well. Great job. Thanks
Sharp Little Pencil
Well, I’m wondering if I am speaking to a musician now, but no matter. Enough tales have been told that everyone knows the truth, and dare I mention, this one was autobiographical. Thought that tour would be the end of me, but my parents said, “Come home; no questions asked.” Who else but alcoholic parents could do that, right?! Thanks so much, Amy
Kim Nelson
A bold, brassy piece of poetry illuminating a too-frequent reality.
Sharp Little Pencil
Yeah, and it was mine! Thanks so much, Kim, and I’m happy to say I’ve been clean for over 28 years. Thank God for my parents, who opened their home to me once again… Peace, Amy
Victoria
It seems so sad to be constantly reading of these talented artists dying way too young, victims in a way of their success. Nicely rhymed.
Sharp Little Pencil
Victoria, in truth, this was ME at 21. Damned lucky I made it past that… detoxed on a bus from LA to NYS. Yuck. Thanks, Amy
Steve King
This is tough, compact, nothing extra to dilute your images or make them safer. Especially compelling given the events of the past few days.
Sharp Little Pencil
Thanks, Steve. Ironic, since this poem was about yours truly at age 21. I always lay it out, warts and all, if only to warn others of the pitfalls. Peace, Amy
Pat Hatt
Hit the nail on the head with this one, some just think it is fun and they can kick it with ease. But that is never the case.
Sharp Little Pencil
It was I, yours truly. And I detoxed on a bus ride from LA to NYS, four days and three nights of tremors and sweating. Needless to say, no one wanted to sit next to me! Your words are right on target, Pat. Thanks, Amy
Richard Cody
wow
Sharp Little Pencil
You should have been there…
Paula Scott Molokai Girl Studio
Wow-you sure know how to get right to it. I may have said this before, but I’ll say it again-you ROCK (no pun intended)!
Sharp Little Pencil
Paula, thanks so much. No pun intended? Really? How could you deny me my guilty pleasure, ha ha ha. Amy
Andrew Kreider
Powerful – especially the stark contrast in the final verse. What an image, that bright shining synapse… Thanks, as always!
Sharp Little Pencil
Andrew, I thank you. Hard to admit these things sometimes, but it’s always worth getting the word out… Peace, A.
Joseph Harker
That last stanza is excellent, moving through all the emotions (as the poem does) from 0 to 60 in seconds. (Which fits the theme eerily well.)
Sharp Little Pencil
Ha, you caught me with my intent showing! (blush) It’s exactly how the stuff hit me. Thank God I found my way back… Amy
Buddah Moskowitz
Great writing, loved it. Aside from the obvious, why is that gogogo the saddest sound? Do explain! Explain yourself, young lady! 🙂 your brudda mosk
Sharp Little Pencil
C’mon, you’ve heard it, that blood speeding through your veins at the speed of light, the intensity of a drug that’s SO MUCH bigger than yourself. Wink, wink, that’s what I think! Love, Ameleh
kaykuala
So that’s how they got snared, right where it all began. Truly Amy! And we’re not talking of ordinary ones who didn’t make it. Elvis,Michael,Whitney were real big names. It is sad!
Hank
Sharp Little Pencil
Actually, this was me, once upon a time… believe it or not! Amy
naramalone
And that’s how it starts. Sadly that’s where it ends too. Nice write!
Sharp Little Pencil
It only ended when my mom and dad urged me to come back home, upstate NY. If not for them, I would probably not be here today, or at least not coherent enough to write a blog… Thanks, Nara. Amy
Renee Espriu
You always know how to tell it like it is. Missed your posts and am glad to have you back.
Sharp Little Pencil
Thanks, Renee. See, you could tell this was me all along because you know me so well. Glad to be back – coming your way now! Peace, Amy
pmwanken
Amy —
I liked the rhyming pattern in this. I always feel like my rhymes seem forced. These work so well together.
Thanks for visiting my blog and commenting on my “traffic(king)” poem…here’s another one I wrote for the kids…
http://whenwordsescape.wordpress.com/2012/02/10/peeking-out/
Good to see you ’round again!! 🙂
~Paula
Sharp Little Pencil
Thanks for leaving the specific link, Paula. Glad you liked the rhyme… if it doesn’t fall into place pretty quickly, I abandon form…
I will visit you now. And thanks again! Amy
Altonian
Sad how often this happens. The strange thing is that the original talent is usually sufficient to succeed without extraneous ‘kicks’. It is a puzzle to me that I find un-solveable.
Sharp Little Pencil
I did finally discover that I sang SO much better without any substances or drink. But, you know, when everyone else is doing it… (I can hear my mom asking about other kids jumping off the roof right now…!) THanks, Leigh. Peace, Amy
JulesPaige
As a misfit of the 1960’s – I was not into protesting the wars nor drugs. But I do remember conversations of dying synapses. Interesting I think I heard on the news that because of his now 8 year old daughter Sir Paul has decided to give up ‘weed’. I think it was also interesting in ‘The Clan of the Cave Bear’ series that the shaman was able to tag travel to the future only because of a miss-step of a differently perhaps advanced form of human? On average we only use 10% of our brains, so says science. I would like to think that we use more of our heart in ‘sigh-ence’.
Sharp Little Pencil
Well said, Jules. This poem was autobiographical, and I shudder to think how all that affected my brain… Amy
Raven
Amy, I love your work. It is filled with such meaning … ever relevant! Forgive me for not commenting at times. Or, not responding. My strength is sapped, but I still read. So much love to you and many thanks for sharing “you” and your incredibly relevant comments on my piece. (((hugs)))
Sharp Little Pencil
If you’ll forgive me for not responding, we’re in the clear! (wink) I am so behind on comments! Sorry to hear you are not in peak form, and wishing you strong vibes and thoughts… Amy