"No One Smokes Here Anymore" - More Old Poetry

I wrote a lot of poetry back during my undergrad days, but once I found that I enjoyed doing fiction more, I never picked it back up (despite filling a huge notebook with well-transcribed versions along with accompanying images). Since Steemit seems to have a thriving (and growing) poetry community, I thought I'd add a little fuel to that particular fire. I hope you enjoy :)

---

No one smokes here anymore
but the walls still cough
from aftershock and grime,
time colored on the paneling
in swirls of cancered scribblings,
perfumed phero-moans,
and pints of imports
spilled into the crevices,
a bath of funk-sin functioning
as faux wallpaper.

No one smokes here anymore,
they step out into dusk,
puff-puffing at the passerby
and flicking butt to curb,
quick-soaked up in puddles
of last night’s arid lightning play,
emanating cloy and backbone
over waste thrown out that day
from unfinished five-star lunches
and fast food wrappers
hastily McLittered away.

No one smokes here anymore,
they’ve all grown up and quit,
tired of twice-washing good shirts
just to sniff clean
amidst crowds
of the hair sprayed and over-cologned.
No one smokes here anymore
but the walls still cough
in smoke rings
of near forgotten
anecdotes.

---

"Arizona" - https://steemit.com/poetry/@bucho/arizona-a-poem-from-nearly-20-years-ago
"Lasso the Moon, George Bailey" - https://steemit.com/poetry/@bucho/lasso-the-moon-george-bailey-a-poem-from-nearly-20-years-ago
"Sphinx Song" - https://steemit.com/poetry/@bucho/sphinx-song-a-poem-from-nearly-20-years-ago
"Purgatory's Visiting Hours" - https://steemit.com/poetry/@bucho/purgatory-s-visiting-hours-a-poem-from-nearly-20-years-ago
"When Atlas Shrugged" - https://steemit.com/poetry/@bucho/sure-atlas-shrugged-a-poem-from-nearly-20-years-ago
"Christmas in Viet Nam" - https://steemit.com/poetry/@bucho/christmas-in-viet-nam-a-poem-from-nearly-20-years-ago
"Apocalypsis" - https://steemit.com/poetry/@bucho/apocalypsis-a-poem-from-nearly-20-years-ago
"New Novel, Issue 2, Vol. I" - https://steemit.com/poetry/@bucho/new-novel-issue-2-vol-i-a-poem-from-nearly-20-years-ago
"Star God (My Final Thread)" - https://steemit.com/poetry/@bucho/star-god-my-final-thread-a-poem-from-nearly-20-years-ago
"The Universe is Right on Schedule" - https://steemit.com/poetry/@bucho/the-universe-is-right-on-schedule-a-poem-from-nearly-20-years-ago
"Absence of God & Time" - https://steemit.com/poetry/@bucho/absence-of-god-and-time-a-poem-from-nearly-20-years-ago
"Hale-Bopp" - https://steemit.com/poetry/@bucho/hale-bopp-a-poem-from-nearly-20-years-ago
"I Want Out" - https://steemit.com/poetry/@bucho/i-want-out-a-poem-from-nearly-20-years-ago
"Good Morning, Creation!" - https://steemit.com/poetry/@bucho/good-morning-creation-a-poem-from-nearly-20-years-ago
"Reflected through the Looking Glass" - https://steemit.com/poetry/@bucho/reflected-through-the-looking-glass-a-poem-from-nearly-20-years-ago
"Symbiosis" - https://steemit.com/poetry/@bucho/symbiosis-a-poem-from-nearly-20-years-ago
"Dream of a Dream" - https://steemit.com/poetry/@bucho/dream-of-a-dream-a-poem-from-nearly-20-years-ago
"Azure Interlude" - https://steemit.com/poetry/@bucho/azure-interlude-a-poem-from-nearly-20-years-ago
"Hubris, My Love" - https://steemit.com/poetry/@bucho/hubris-my-love-a-poem-from-nearly-20-years-ago
"Sin" - https://steemit.com/poetry/@bucho/sin-a-poem-from-nearly-20-years-ago
"So Many People, So Little Time" - https://steemit.com/poetry/@bucho/so-many-people-so-little-time-a-poem-from-nearly-20-years-ago
"Deafening, Shameless Horror of War" - https://steemit.com/poetry/@bucho/deafening-shameless-horror-of-war-a-poem-from-nearly-20-years-ago
"Weary Traveler" - https://steemit.com/poetry/@bucho/weary-traveler-a-poem-from-nearly-20-years-ago
"Dead Poet Society" - https://steemit.com/poetry/@bucho/dead-poet-society-a-poem-from-nearly-20-years-ago
"Untitled, 12.13.05" - https://steemit.com/poetry/@bucho/untitled-12-13-05-more-old-poetry
"Untitled, 01.17.06" - https://steemit.com/poetry/@bucho/untitled-01-17-06-more-old-poetry
"Untitled, 01.25.06" - https://steemit.com/poetry/@bucho/untitled-01-25-06-more-old-poetry
"Untitled, 04.17.06" - https://steemit.com/poetry/@bucho/untitled-04-17-06-more-old-poetry
"Tongue Painting" - https://steemit.com/poetry/@bucho/tongue-painting-some-pervy-humpday-poetry
"The Orator of S(kin)" - https://steemit.com/poetry/@bucho/the-orator-of-s-k-in-some-pervy-humpday-poetry
"Insert A into B" - https://steemit.com/poetry/@bucho/insert-a-into-b-some-pervy-humpday-poetry
"Mornings" - https://steemit.com/poetry/@bucho/mornings-more-old-poetry
"Wake-Up Call" - https://steemit.com/poetry/@bucho/wake-up-call-more-old-poetry
"As If Hanging in Dreams on the Back of a Tiger" - https://steemit.com/poetry/@bucho/as-if-hanging-in-dreams-on-the-back-of-a-tiger-more-old-poetry
"Mano Viejo (An Old Hand)" - https://steemit.com/poetry/@bucho/mano-viejo-an-old-hand
"...And on the 8th Day" - https://steemit.com/poetry/@bucho/and-on-the-8th-day-more-old-poetry
"Choir of Anvils" - https://steemit.com/poetry/@bucho/choir-of-anvils-more-old-poetry
"Paris" - https://steemit.com/poetry/@bucho/paris-more-old-poetry
"Epilogue" - https://steemit.com/poetry/@bucho/epilogue-more-old-poetry
"Accident in C Minor" - https://steemit.com/poetry/@bucho/accident-in-c-minor-more-old-poetry
"Scaring the Stars into Submission" - https://steemit.com/poetry/@bucho/scaring-the-stars-into-submission-more-old-poetry
"Raising Hell in the Garden of Eden" - https://steemit.com/poetry/@bucho/raising-hell-in-the-garden-of-eden-more-old-poetry
"The Push" - https://steemit.com/poetry/@bucho/the-push-more-old-poetry
"Thong Decision" - https://steemit.com/poetry/@bucho/thong-decision-more-old-poetry-humor
"Kline in Love" - https://steemit.com/poetry/@bucho/kline-in-love-more-old-poetry
"Un-" - https://steemit.com/poetry/@bucho/un-more-old-poetry
"Hollow Points, Anonymous Tips" - https://steemit.com/writing/@bucho/hollow-points-anonymous-tips-more-old-poetry
"Poke, Process, Repeat" - https://steemit.com/poetry/@bucho/poke-process-repeat-more-old-poetry
"Healthy Living" - https://steemit.com/writing/@bucho/healthy-living-more-old-poetry
"Natural Selection" - https://steemit.com/poetry/@bucho/natural-selection-more-old-poetry
"Icarus" - https://steemit.com/poetry/@bucho/icarus-more-old-poetry
"The Religion of Ink" - https://steemit.com/writing/@bucho/the-religion-of-ink-more-old-poetry
"The Chaos of Thought and Passion" - https://steemit.com/writing/@bucho/the-chaos-of-thought-and-passion-more-old-poetry
"Attempting Patience" - https://steemit.com/writing/@bucho/attempting-patience-more-old-poetry
"Tongue-Twisted and Blistered" - https://steemit.com/writing/@bucho/tongue-twisted-and-blistered-more-old-poetry
"Ice Drift" - https://steemit.com/poetry/@bucho/ice-drift-more-old-poetry
"Once Every Forever" - https://steemit.com/poetry/@bucho/once-every-forever-more-old-poetry
"Nude Unbending a Stare-Case" - https://steemit.com/poetry/@bucho/nude-unbending-a-stare-case-more-old-poetry