“Snake Eyez” – Heroin Addiction – Spoken Thought

Writing/Illustration by Ellen Kuykendall. Voice and music contributed by JahCuban Sound. This writing flowed during memory moments of someone that I knew that died from heroin addiction. The addiction occurred while the man was a teenager. The addiction led to armed robbery of drug stores in order to feed the addiction. Arrested and convicted to 15 years, he served 5 years and was paroled. During that time, his life changed and he utilized the time in prison for self development. He studied, recovered, became an advocate for prisoner’s needs and rights due to abuses he witnessed by those who abused prisoners in their authority positions and the various violences he witnessed between prisoners on each other. He continued to advocate against drug abuse and for humane prisoner conditions after he was paroled, hosting radio shows and working with law-makers. He created a successful business. I met this man after he had already been diagnosed with end-stage liver disease. He was diagnosed in his mid-40’s. I knew him for 3 years before he died. The treatment to stay alive after diagnosis was painful. He had acquired a virus during the early herion addiction years from needle sharing and the virus slowly ate his liver for the next 20 years. At the time the symptoms surfaced, he was diagnosed with end stage liver disease and given limited time to live. This is only one story. Heroin Kills… it snakes through your body and consciousness.
Video Rating: 0 / 5