PART I - ANOTHER STATISTIC
By: Harlee Charamut

One minute you’re here
The next minute you’re gone
It could be over so quick
Sticking a needle in your arm
Perks is the new drug of choice
Among a lot of drug users today
One CC to much
Will surely send you on your way
Just this past week
A girl I’ve been knowing overdosed
It left her not breathing, blue in the face
And on the floor comatose
Narcan didn’t even work
For Stephanie it was to late
She’s another statistic added to the list
That Perks have killed to this date
Just a couple days ago
She asked me for a smoke
We talked a little bit, had a few laughs
And cracked a couple jokes
I never thought for one second
That I’d never see her again
I would have told her I appreciated her
And thanx for being my friend
A couple years ago on my birthday
I was alone and had no one to hang with
I by chance ran into Stephanie
And she took me out to eat to celebrate
We had BARELY known each other
I had only seen her around a couple times
But I thought it was HELLA SWEET of her
To change her plans for mine
My heart is saddened to KNOW that
One minute you’re here
The next you could be gone
It could be over just that quick
From shooting Fentanyl in your arm

R.I.P
Stephanie Lazo
Dallas, Texas February 2024

© De Ona Charamut