I Wish You Would

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I wish you would stop drinking
And be sober for a while;
I wish you would stop hunting
For some stranger veteran’s smile.

I wish you could see yourself
As you are when you’ve had too much;
I wish you’d leave it on the shelf
And tell yourself “Don’t touch.”

I wish you’d choose Sam, Mom, or me,
Instead of yourself for once;
I wish you wouldn’t need whiskey
To ignore your father’s taunts.

I wish you’d see who you become
Whenever you have a drink;
I wish you’d like yourself unnumbed,
And step away from the brink.

I wish you’d be my Dad again,
Not a stranger with loose lips;
I wish you’d be a better man
Than the one you seem to pick.