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September 14, 2025

Word of the day and recovery rhyme for September

By Denise E LindquistPublished 4 months ago 1 min read
Top Story - September 2025
September 14, 2025
Photo by Johanna Huber on Unsplash

The word for today is Perpetuity, and some may call this timeless (Merriam-Webster’s Word of the Day Calendar, with other definitions)

Perpetuity (noun)

the state or quality of lasting forever, or a very long time:

a bond or other security with no fixed maturity date.

a restriction making an interest in land inalienable perpetually or for a period beyond certain limits fixed by law.

Timeless (adjective)

not affected by the passage of time or changes in fashion:

“Antiques add to the timeless atmosphere of the dining room.”

Spirit lasts forever

Free will is an ever

lasting way

is what I say

We can choose

to drink booze

or not

We can rot

by choice

or rejoice

in recovery

As I made a discovery

that my life together

is so much better

with those using free will

to not take any addictive pill

to choose recovery over half a life

and all of the strife

to endure with using

drugs and boozing

~

My wish to live in perpetuity

clean and sober is my duty

for future generations

and healing past relations

Life in recovery is timeless

and crimeless.

~~

Author’s Note: Native American people could not drink alcohol openly until a law was rescinded that said they could not drink in bars and buy alcohol, or face jail time. That law changed in 1953, the year before I was born.

I saw a lot of problem drinking and alcoholism growing up, and I continue to see it. I also see a lot of recovery. I began my recovery on September 24, 1978, when our people got religious freedom, and I stopped smoking cigarettes and marijuana. Two years later, I quit drinking alcohol and taking drugs on September 26, 1980.

~~~~

First published by Mercury Press on medium.com

Free VerseGratitude

About the Creator

Denise E Lindquist

I am married with 7 children, 28 grands, and 13 great-grandchildren. I am a culture consultant part-time. I write A Poem a Day in February for 8 years now. I wrote 4 - 50,000 word stories in NaNoWriMo. I write on Vocal/Medium daily.

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Comments (10)

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  • Imola Tóth4 months ago

    Congrats on your TS 🎉🎉

  • Calvin London4 months ago

    Congrats on your Top Story

  • Back to say congratulations on your Top Story! 🎉💖🎊🎉💖🎊

  • Stephanie Hoogstad4 months ago

    A wonderful expression of your recovery and the struggles of your people—of all people, really. Thank you for sharing this with us, and congrats on the Top Story!

  • Margaret Brennan4 months ago

    congratulations on TS. This is the way we should all strive to live.

  • The Dani Writer4 months ago

    What a meaningful poem! Top Story congratulations! 🎊

  • Mark Graham4 months ago

    Congratulations on your life feats. A poem that shows how life goes in ways.

  • This was so beautiful and uplifting. Loved your poem!

  • Sandy Gillman4 months ago

    I’d actually never heard the word perpetuity before. I love how you wove it into such a personal and powerful reflection on recovery.

  • Calvin London4 months ago

    Wonderful achievements, Denise, and nicely expressed in your poem.

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