Smoke

She brought the burning cigarette to her reddened mouth
‘I see’
The words escaped her lips in a cloud
of thick grey smoke
‘Have you heard?’ he asks tentatively
She nods a response, a yes, he assumes
He assumes many things
Many many, she presumes he assumes

Sucking in the air
Sucking in her face
Sucking in his smell
Sucking in the chocolate cake

Her lips were red like blood
He brought the glass of red wine to his mouth
Her blonde hair glowed and burned

Glory to God Almighty
She’s eating me
Smoking checkers in my brain
Bound in golden chains
‘You’ve got to be shitting me’

The smoke billowed from her
softly parted red lips
It formed the figure of a naked woman
Begging him to come
Begging him to take the long
journey to her side