Carcinogens

Written for the Real Poetic 'Anniversary' Challenge. Find all the details below.

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Addictions lurk, hiding behind every facade. and I see their persuasive glare, staring back like bold, tenacious stalkers,

not fazed by the restraining-order blocking their advances to devour lifespans.

naiveté; an innocent word, laid the foundation for greatest lies i ever did tell... placing me with the only facilitator

inclined to chaperone fragile minds—the wagon—dismisses many passengers who couldn't keep their seatbelts fastened,

vindicating excuses in a way that only evil conglomerates fiendishly appreciate, releasing

explicit farewells that dissolve in the midst of reflective ears...

return you will, to that black-lung masterpiece, that tarpit of comfort, oozing with shameless

shame, suffocating willpower with every drag, until won't-power is all that exhales...

a confrontation with self is a tug-of-war of fractured promises, clogging the mind in a noxious universe...

resting my eyes on the calendar, it's been a year, the air is pure and benign, yet the struggle remains...

yesterday deserves a prayer of thanks. today has only begun. slipping backwards… is always just a puff away.

A/N: Thankfully, I quit smoking tobacco over ten years ago. I’ll never forget the proud feeling of making it through that first year. Thank you for reading.