but now it's time to clear the mess, and look what I found here
beneath the coffee table! A glass containing dregs of beer
by a saucerful of ciggy butts as dead as the old year!
 |
| Photo by R A D Stainforth |
But people still ignored them, or so it would appear,
for twitchy nose and gimlet eyes both made me stop and peer
until I found the culprit whose reek of fags, I fear,
was oh, so overwhelming, it killed my festive cheer!
See more options at The Mag 149, where Tess gave this nudge to our creative juices...
Love your take on the prompt! Especially "gimlet eyes". Great! Nothing stinkier than a dirty ashtray.
ReplyDeleteThey are indeed a trial to the olfactory nerves. :)
DeleteTwitchy nose and gimlet eyes--love it. Rude smokers!
ReplyDeleteThe words do conjure up an owlish picture, don't you think?
DeleteLove your take - and (lack of)respect of peoples wishes - 'No Smoking in our house please' - is never good.
ReplyDeleteAs a smoker - and therefore a social pariah - I have always respected peoples wishes and more so, two of my never-smokers good friends always have given me permission to smoke in their house - but I never have nor would ever do so.
This has been an interesting prompt with regards to comments posted on particular individual responses to same. It has left me feeling quite uneasy and I feel quite dehumanized.
I am human too.
Apologies for laying my defensive comment here Cad - I am not singling you out and indeed have left a similar comment elsewhere - but the more comments I read - the uneasier I feel. It is not pleasant to be stigmatised.
With respect.
Anna :o[
Lack of respect is a two way thing, Anna... All humans have a right to choose how they live in their own home, so I'm a little puzzled as to why 'No smoking please' notices in mine would cause any offense? But I hasten to add, this entire poem is purely fiction anyhow, not fact...
DeleteAs in your own home you are free to smoke as much or as little as you choose, I fail to see where your 'dehumanised' feeling comes from...
WHAT? You had a party and we weren't invited? For shame!
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year (in spite of it) Now go clean up!!!
My dear, I'm sure for you the door would be ever open - invitation or not! LOL
Deletenicely done....thanks for sharing your words
ReplyDeleteGreat and amusing take on the prompt! We have a strict no smoking rule in our home because the smell makes both me and my daughter get migraines. I've sent numerous guests out to the deck in the cold and don't feel bad about it.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year, anyway!
ReplyDelete