An Offering for Encounters

I was smoking
about half a pack a day.
I had no desire to quit.
I knew the habit was bad for me,
yet I enjoyed it.

Then one day,
without explanation,
smoking a cigarette
made me nauseous.

I attributed that
to smoking
too early in the day.
So I decided
to try again later.
When I did,
I had the same result.

After that day,
I had no cravings.
No desire
for a cigarette.

Except once—
while tending a fire
in our barbecue grill,
I decided
that as I waited
on the flame,
I would have a cigarette.

I did not enjoy it.
But I can proudly say
it was the last cigarette I had.

I get no craving for it today.
When I smell
someone else’s cigarette nearby,
I find myself wondering
how I ever found that pleasurable.

If this offering stirred something in you—
a memory,
a question,
a flicker of light—
you are welcome to share
your reflection below.
No need for eloquence.
No need for certainty.
Just a lantern,
gently placed.