Looking in the Eyes of The Poppy Man

Looking in the eyes of The Poppy Man

The Poppy Man came to visit, bringing with him a bouquet of Poppies and a promise of enlightenment, warm feelings and better times to come.

A promise that once encountered would unknowingly change the lives, minds and souls of those enticed forever.

The Poppy Man came to visit, offering a free Poppy, with its sweet smelling aroma to anyone foolish enough to look him in the eyes.

The Poppy Man came to visit, entering our lives, drawing those that he encountered in close; close enough to catch a breath of his sweet smelling Poppies.

A breath that the Poppy Man promised would bring such wonderful things as euphoria and enlightenment from all their daily toils and troubles.

But along with his sweet smelling breath came a mind numbing presence, a presence that reached down into their very souls and fixed them in his addictive gaze.

The Poppy Man came to visit, entering our lives, enticing those whose souls he had touched and fixed in his addictive gaze, to invite their brothers, sisters and friends to come for a visit.

A visit encouraged by camaraderie and friendship but veiling the true consequences of a meeting with The Poppy Man.

The Poppy Man came to visit, and his Poppy People were waiting to greet him, craving another free Poppy.

But this time there was no offer of a free Poppy, just a price list and a phone number of all The Poppy Sellers in the area.

As the cravings for another Poppy grew, the Poppy People started using up all their wages and savings, until the cravings for another Poppy grew so large that finding the funding for another Poppy became their sole purpose in life.

The Poppy People became so totally fixated on finding the funds for another visit to the Poppy Sellers, that there appearances changed and they lost their dignity and jobs.

The Poppy Man came to visit, suggesting to the Poppy People ways to fund their Poppy cravings.

Leaving it up to the individual Poppy Seller’s to decide whether the Poppy People could fund there Poppy cravings with cash or by other means and goods.

This is when the families of the Poppy People started finding that their own money and property had gone missing.

The Poppy Man came to visit, and all our lives were changed forever.

For it was not just the Poppy People whose lives were changed forever, but those of the close family members and friends, who did not get enticed by The Poppy Man’s offer of a free Poppy.

The Parents tried to understand what was happening, but things got totally out of hand so fast, that they were totally bewildered and beyond all reasonable comprehension of what was happening to them and their loved ones.

Some Parents tried to understand the workings of the Poppy Man, but more often than not, the Parents, not being able to cope with the shame of what was happening to them and their families, just threw out their loved ones and buried their heads in the sand.

The Parents and friends feared they had totally lost their loved ones to the Poppy Man forever.

Those Poppy People that were lucky enough to be arrested and put out of the reach of the Poppy Man’s gaze, were offered treatment and a way out, but for many of the Poppy People the Poppy Man’s gaze was just too strong.

The Poppy Man came to visit, killing many poor Poppy People, before they could receive the much needed help and treatment for their mental states of mind and addictions.

Also killing many poor Poppy People outright; if not at their first gaze, then normally at a revisit to the Poppy Man after finding the urge of his gaze to overwhelmingly strong.

Death finally releasing the poor Poppy People’s soul’s from the gaze of the Poppy Man and his Poppy Sellers.

Once the Poppy Man and his Poppy Sellers had visited on The Parents and their loved ones,

Many Parents found that after enduring losing their whole lives, including their dignity, friends and loved ones.

That they finally did have the courage, resolve and inner strength, found deep down in their very soul’s, to fight back at the Poppy Man, wrestling their loved ones from his gaze.

But the fear of another visit from the Poppy Man and his Poppy Sellers will never go away and will always be present.

For the Poppy Man walks by every day, looking in through their windows, trying to re-fix his gaze on their loved ones and their saved souls.

The Poppy Man came to visit, but now there is no one here willing to take a free Poppy.

By Kevin John Stares