This powerful poem, “Dump Truck,” was written by Jeff Cullen, the late son of Denise Cullen, the co-founder of Broken No More. Jeff’s words offer a raw and unfiltered glimpse into the struggles and inner turmoil he faced. We share this poem to honor his memory and to provide insight into the painful realities that many who suffer from substance use disorders experience.
Dump Truck
Boredom. Is it inevitable? No, only to conform to an unwanted routine, every day lifestyle that keeps leading me back to the subtle, yet blatant invisible death I know is slowly but surely creeping up on my weak heels.
Is there a way out? I’d love to know. Scattered thoughts know no higher being, just a mere shadow in the corner of my eye. So far the second decade has brought nothing but rare sight of day, consistent puncture, and an awaiting collapse of a flowing source of life I call a mainline. What the future holds? A ticking clock we lay our eyes on, day after day to tell what we call time, which is all that will tell.
I see a badly needed lesson, an uncomfortable extremely humbling lesson, and necessary for up and coming decades to unravel. All and all possibly a test of maturity and acceptance of the realization that there are no questions or answers, just common sense and reality, that unbearable, in your face, in your head your voice screaming right fucking at you that you refuse and ignore so often.
So surreal an act of utter arrogance, resulting in a dark and gloomy state that shows little mercy. So surreal an intelligent mind aware of some so-called state of reality that holds repercussions promising only the worst of weather if you will.
Like denial almost, unwilling to easily take some control over decisions where vital consequences dwell and linger overhead, shown to be obviously detrimental to oneself, very grim source of self destruction, only an imbecile would do anything but attempt an immediate 180 turn, especially with the knowledge and awareness of this incredibly strong force I choose to call a motivated beast growing stronger day in day out. In over his head he immaturely takes more huge steps towards the edge, not having concern for what lies ahead in a fairy tale life that has pointlessly been turned into a struggle that eventually starts to ripple like a slight breeze on a glassed off cove at dawn.
Jeff Cullen