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That Last Cigarette
by Ken HarnischLeaves fleeing the sidewalks
In the wind
Always brought on
That sad romantic foreboding
I got when walking home.
I would push my collar up
And smoke a cigarette,
Though that was your habit, not mine
I carried Tareytons
Just so you could smoke them
And I could light them for you
In the night
I walked long
And quickly, counting cracks
Along the sidewalk.
To passers-by I seemed
A scarecrow in a pea coat,
Making his way home when
He wanted most to stay in
The place he just departed.
There was nothing ahead
For me back then
And nothing behind when
You smoked that last cigarette of
Mine and there was no reason
To walk to your house
Anymore
A place it took me months to
Leave and get the taste of you
Out of my heart.
09/23/2008 Posted on 10/03/2010
Copyright © 2025 Ken Harnisch
| Member Comments on this Poem |
| Posted by Kristina Woodhill on 10/04/10 at 05:29 PM Great visuals - that first stanza sets the scene so well - "leaves fleeing". Using cigarettes as a common draw is intriguing, especially for a non-smoker like myself. Fine last stanza. |
| Posted by Gabriel Ricard on 10/05/10 at 03:02 PM Visually I'd say this is one of your best poems to date, man. Wonderfully compelling, well-written stuff. |
| Posted by Steve Michaels on 10/12/10 at 03:14 AM Wow, you just snapshotted my life. This is poetry in motion. |
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