Hands that Tremble By Leigh Doughty

‘I’m not an alcoholic,’

he told himself most days.

As each day he clung on  

with fierce talons to the fact that

he never drank until five o’clock

and that showed courage and

strength to fight the day.

If his hands would shake then 

so be it.

And if his mind could only scream

to have another drink,  

any drink,

as long as it had that magic spirit,

then so be it.

If he could just get to through the afternoon

idling his hours away,

like a senile workhound

refusing to give up. 

Just to make it to that heavenly release

that came at five on the dot.

Then he wasn't an alcoholic 

Leigh Doughty is a writer and a tutor from Lincoln, England. His previous work is in the Nuthatch and the Subliminal Surgery.