In the United States, 48.4 million people were documented having substance abuse disorder, and this number is rising every year. This fact is not only often swept under the rug, but the survivors of addiction are often undersung. For the Spark's monthly poetry night, poet Delilah Wurth chose to write about this issue in her poem titled "Respect." At the bottom of this site, there is an interview conducted with her, asking questions connecting to her poem and her thoughts behind it.
Respect is given to the recovered.
Respect is given to the success stories.
Respect is given to the survivors, not the surviving.
The man on the street is in need.
Not needy.
Maybe he put himself there,
But it is not his fault if that is where he dies.
He came into this world through the love of a mother,
And left because of the hate of the system they preached so loud
They couldn't hear his cries.
He is a father and a son.
He cannot get to where you are because you do not give him anything capable of getting him out of where he is.
Relapse is a part of recovery, so does that not deserve respect as well?
It was his choice to pick up the needle,
But in his eyes, it's the closest thing to living
He has ever known.
And now, the intetrview with Delilah Wurth.
Q1. You wrote this poem during the sparks poetry night, and the theme was social injustices in the world. Why did you choose this topic to write about?
A large amount of what I write focuses on substance use disorders and homelessness because that has always been a major issue in my personal life. Both of these things have had a large impact on my family, so they are topics that I care about a lot, and writing about them helps me process and spread awareness about them.
Q2. Do you have any emotional connection to the subject of the poem?
Yes I do. The main connection I have is through my dad. He has struggled with substance use since he was sixteen, and because of that use he has ended up is a seemingly endless cycle of relapse, jail, and homelessness. I grew up watching this cycle repeat itself, constantly confused about why he didn’t want to stop. It took me a long time to realize that the cycle he has become trapped in wasn’t completely because of a fault of his, but a fault of our own society. Homelessness has a lot of stigma surrounding it which causes a lot of harm to those experiencing it. Because of how many people view homelessness, usually caused by harmful stereotypes, it is very difficult for people to get out of the situations the are in because they often lose access to a lot of the resources that are apart of our everyday lives. It is important to me that I spread awareness on it however I can, because speaking out is the best thing most people can do to break that cycle and help out our community.
Q3. Do you know of anyway this problem could be solved, and if there is anything we could do to help people in that situation?
I believe we have dug a hole that is too deep to ever fully get rid of, so I personally don’t think it will ever be 100% solved. However, I do think that even though there might never be a permanent solution, that should not stop us from doing what we can on a more localized level. I always give whatever cash I have when I am asked, and if I don’t have cash, I listen to what they have to tell me. Sometimes the best thing anyone can give is time. Human connection is one of the most important things out there, and nobody is undeserving of that.
Poetry is a medium that can be used to help everyone work through even the most complex emotions, feelings and situations, and Wurth is using it to spread awareness on this important topic.