CHOICES

CHOICES

The crowd passes him by on their way to somewhere never noticing him sitting there against a cold brick wall. Only pants and a shirt to protect him from the bitter cold wind that swirls around his head. He has been here before in this place in a hundred towns, and they never change. He shivers as the unbearable pain begins, he doesn't even know where he is and the pain sears through him like a knife. His life flashes before him and he sees the one that loved him long ago. The one he left, the choice he made that brought him to this moment in his life. He is lost and afraid he cannot face one more tomorrow or memories of yesterday. He reaches into his pocket and takes out the only answer to his problems. He slowly opens his mouth and takes another drink. The whiskey numbs his feelings, but not the coldness within his heart. He takes another sip and then another and another.

He drinks for courage and finds weakness. He drinks for hope and finds only despair. He drinks to make choices from long ago disappear and finds his choices are not all he must face.
Here on this corner, he comes one last time to make a final choice to face his life. A choice only he can make. No one can help him now. The choice he makes here tonight will be a final one. He must let go of the past, the pain and all the remorse and regrets. He must surrender all. As night turns to day people are stirring, never seeing the man sitting there against the wall, not moving. There is no more pain or heartache. He no longer takes the bottle from his pocket, no longer afraid to make his final choice. His choice to no longer live.