Dead and still smoking
from 
JoeUser Forums
JoeUser Forums
she called to
me from the door
of the duplex
a sullen almost silent
wailing
she was old shrunken
frail brittle looking
covered in brown
leather like skin
stained to rotting
onion peel
the closer I got to
her
the stronger the
stench that drifted
from the door
my stomach knotted
I knew the smell
sickly sweet rotting
she told me
her husband hadn’t
been out of his
room in days
and
she needed cigarettes
I fumbled with the
lock to a door
it popped open
across the foot
of the bed
reclining
her tiny husband
frozen in
time
his open eyes
fixed on a point on
the wall
cigarette with a 3 inch
ash
still in his
hand
freshly lit moments before
he died
a solemn smile on
his lips
I told the little
woman
he’s dead
do you understand me
he’s dead
she shook her head
said she needed
cigarettes
like I had never
spoken
I watched
removing myself
as she rummaged
thru the dead mans
pockets
finding his cigarettes
and firing up
I said again
he’s dead
you know
“yes” she said
inhaling deeply
“I know”
J. Masuda © 2004
me from the door
of the duplex
a sullen almost silent
wailing
she was old shrunken
frail brittle looking
covered in brown
leather like skin
stained to rotting
onion peel
the closer I got to
her
the stronger the
stench that drifted
from the door
my stomach knotted
I knew the smell
sickly sweet rotting
she told me
her husband hadn’t
been out of his
room in days
and
she needed cigarettes
I fumbled with the
lock to a door
it popped open
across the foot
of the bed
reclining
her tiny husband
frozen in
time
his open eyes
fixed on a point on
the wall
cigarette with a 3 inch
ash
still in his
hand
freshly lit moments before
he died
a solemn smile on
his lips
I told the little
woman
he’s dead
do you understand me
he’s dead
she shook her head
said she needed
cigarettes
like I had never
spoken
I watched
removing myself
as she rummaged
thru the dead mans
pockets
finding his cigarettes
and firing up
I said again
he’s dead
you know
“yes” she said
inhaling deeply
“I know”
J. Masuda © 2004