Admittedly I have a pointed view of addiction and recovery. I am a recovering dope fiend of thirty-eight years, and a retired substance use disorder counselor who practiced for thirty years. Briefly, I have enough skeletons in my closet to fund medical research for a year, and enough experience with criminals to write another crime novel. Turn on any media source to get the details I wish not to discuss, but I lived them as well! One of the central characters here implores the principle to tell them about the 'New Dream', that is that the major premise of Dr. King's era had been achieved so what was next? I offer this excerpt to explore the obvious and not so obvious causes for stasis and possible ways to hear that soaring poetry again!