i watch them
these ancient, raging, anarchistic,
masochistic, sarcastic,
cigarette smoke inhalers
who hurl self-neglect
into the passing crowd
as an offering of personal protest
and who tender addicted seconds
via sensually pursed lips
blamelessly but directly
with likeminded accord
and then,
i reflect knowingly
on my own unfiltered time
governed by the pack

First Published in ‘New Poets 19’ FSP, 2018