AIR BLUE 1976

A CAKE PACKING FACTORY IN 1976 AND PIPE SMOKING AND LAUGHTER

I entered the canteen
at mid morning break
at the cake packing factory

and bought a white coffee
from the vending machine
and sat down

and ate a cake
and read from a book
on Spinoza

the other guys ate
and read newspapers
showing page 3 girls

neatly unclad
I lit up my pipe
and grey smoke

rose in the air
what the f**k
you smoking Benny?

a guy called Lewis said
it's sending me to sleep
it's tea

I said
tea? what the fecking
drug tea?

he said
no Brooke Bond tea
I can't afford

pipe tobacco today
what a stink
Egan said

like putting my head up
some w***e's a*s
there was laughter

I smiled
I wouldn't know
I said

I inhaled again
but I had to admit
it lacked a certain something

and put it out
and Pete gave me
a cigarette

and I returned to Spinoza
and God and the universe
and the room clearing

of tea smoke
and Egan told
some rude joke

about some dame he knew
turning the room
and air blue.