I look at the chaos I created
How did I end up here?
Order will never be restored again
I’ve built it over weeks, and months and years
The emptiness consumes me
The hunger will not fade
And I find myself here
Naked as I came
Stripped of all my pride
Nothing left to give
I hide behind the sun
Where before upon its surface I used to dance
With the sweetest girl I ever knew
Music in her hands
And eyes
And smile
But that was just for a little while
All good things come to an end
And I doubt I will ever feel
That ecstasy again
So I stand here on this barren coast
Shooting at the sea
Throwing bottles with scraps of flesh
Contained therein
And in blood is writ an urgent plea
Won’t you please come rescue me?
Andre Darius Labuschagne is a poet, musician, and pastor from Johannesburg, South Africa. He is currently involved with various church movements – and his theological and philosophical beliefs are reflected in his poems. A recovering drug addict, his poetry also explores themes of mental illness, substance abuse, finding God, and the process of growing towards completeness.