A Room of Smoke

A poem about people who smoke.

It's the swivel of her hips,
The smoke curling from her lips,
Snaking through her long fingers,
The cigarette may be gone,
But the Cancer still just lingers

"I can quit anytime I want"
She protests in defiance,
You can't avoid the truth, my dear
We all know it's Science

Lung Cancer, throat Cancer,
A black and withered lung,
You escaped from that room,
But in it the smoke still hung

And now all that's left
Is a ghost of you sitting there,
Sitting with a cigarrette,
Coughing in that chair

It's not so pretty anymore,
Not so shexy when you smoke,
It's just a mannish cough,
And a vocal chord you broke

Though you tried to quit,
Threw on a patch or two,
You can't escape the constricting vice,
That's wrapped on your throat turning you face blue

And as you breathe your last breath,
Trying to take one last inhale,
Just remember you can try to quit,
But you'll more than likely fail

And as I stare at your tombstone,
thinking of ways to justify your end,
I just think of all those times I told you,
I was there for you, being your friend

On countless times I cried
It was time to put it down,
You just looked at me sarcastically
And my voice you would drown.

And it showed on your bitter face,
Just how beautiful you were,
But the cancer's eaten away fifty percent,
And those years were all just a blur

I was there at the doctor's appointments,
There when you were withdrawing,
And now all that I have left is a torn picture,
Of your once beautiful face when your life was dawning

I just wanted to say it's not my fault,
I tried to help you all along,
Though I'm done with the pain and regret,
I'm going to miss you mom.

Reviews

[Jeremy Baker]

The pain and self-blame in this write are tangible. The despair at watching someine so this to themselves is unbearable. Great expression.

[Review]

Drugs. Don't do them. they aren't cool, they aren't glamorous, and they aren't healthy. Excellent poem.
Good job! Keep writing!
**Review**

[dutch2lips]

heartwrenching write, it wasn't your fault, it was her decision but I can imagine the pain, well penned Poet