Saturday, August 20, 2016

apples&honey

chelsea picked out 
two long slender cigars
they looked 
just like my
middle fingers, 
brown and textured.
she said they were flavored, 
and i mustn't worry 
about getting addicted.
the brown cashier,
who we had visited before
let the last bit of change slide
as he pushed the cigars 
and candy bars 
towards us.
chelsea pulled us outside that night,
pushing two white 
elephant shaped chairs
hung low to the ground 
next to each other. 
the moon stared at us in curiosity,
it seemed as though 
he wished to join us
on the patio, 
he was lurking so close. 
it had been years ago
since i had first smoked a
cigar, 
[the only one ever]
it was under the warm milky 
south carolinian sky, 
similar to this night here,
i was only a 
gangly teen 
back then,
now, i was here, 
a girl in a 
30 year old woman body,
and i was eager to 
relearn this 
gentleman's pastime..
chelsea's peach colored fingers
lit the first one with a 
tiny red lighter, 
teaching me softly 
not to inhale, 
but to 
let the smoke 
e s c a p e. 
i followed her instruction 
and took a long pull, 
the soft apple and honey smoke
trailing from my lips 
like a white flag of surrender.
it tasted marvelous. 
i lost track of time
as we sat in the lull of the 
quiet evening, 
pulling air through the 
golden embers,
letting the flavors of 
smokey cinnamon, 
bits of dried apple, 
and rich red wine
slip past our teeth,
trapping it in our throats
if only to let it linger just a 
bit longer,
then reluctantly 
exhaling as the 
tiny clouds 
disappeared into the 
universe. 
we washed it down
with splashes of apple orchard brew, 
a perfect compliment
to that tender evening,
i kept thinking to myself,
i will never forget 
this night.
the company of my 
very best friend, 
the warmth of the 
Florida air,
canopied beneath the umbrellas 
of lush green palms 
and black diamond sky,
the fragrance of honey beneath our noses,
no where else we needed to be.
it goes down in the history 
of my small 
mere life,
as a sweet and tender memory
that i will always take 
with me..