Ryan

Hooked on oxycodone in

middle school thanks to wisdom tooth

removal surgery. Why

can’t we just give the kids Advil?

High school, booger green bedroom

walls, Call of Duty. Drove his girl

home in his Smart car, bought pills

for too much money. She’ll be mad.

Post-graduation, broke as

Hell, Pap’s old diamond necklace looks

good enough to sell. No one

will even notice it’s gone, right?

Stabbed a guy in the rundown

bar off the highway across town

with a stolen samurai

sword from his older brother’s trunk.

Allegheny County Jail

cell, lonely gray, 2-year sentence.

His family doesn’t call,

he has heroin withdrawals.