Cigarettes for breakfast
for the saint that never eats, but is always nourished
All you have for breakfast are cigarettes
because there's a weight on your chest that
can't be lifted, supressing your appetite. And your heart
doesn't work the way it should -
every beat out of rhythm like a drunken dancer -
feeling like it could burst with a
great big BANG at any moment. So, you love twice as
hard to make up for it.
I know because I've seen it between the smoky
jokes you throw to camouflage the
knives that cut your skin, painting scars. But you never
lick the wounds, because a
mother's work is never done, and you
never let yourself breathe, always letting the smoke steal the
oxygen from your lungs. Sometimes I think you're the only
person in the world who doesn't like you. You were never one to
quit, on people or tobacco. White coats
recommended it, stern yet concerned, but a
superhero's work is never done - and that's what you are
to us. Always there, armed with a hug and half a heart, loving
unconditionally, as though it's the only food you need. When
vultures circle, you're always there,
wielding words of wisdom;
xyphoid and bold. And even though your heart stopped dancing
years ago, you still have cigarettes for breakfast, waltz with
zest through ours, and make us smile for tea.
About the Creator
J. R. Lowe
By day, I'm a PhD student, by night.... I'm still a PhD student, but sometimes I procrastinate by writing on Vocal. Based in Australia.
Reader insights
Outstanding
Excellent work. Looking forward to reading more!
Top insights
On-point and relevant
Writing reflected the title & theme
Easy to read and follow
Well-structured & engaging content
Excellent storytelling
Original narrative & well developed characters
Compelling and original writing
Creative use of language & vocab
Heartfelt and relatable
The story invoked strong personal emotions
Masterful proofreading
Zero grammar & spelling mistakes
Eye opening
Niche topic & fresh perspectives
Keep reading
More stories from J. R. Lowe and writers in Poets and other communities.
I AM
This is not who I thought I would be. Before my family was captured and forced into slavery, I had aspirations of becoming a wealthy business owner or possibly a scholar and philosopher. Becoming a warrior was the furthest thing from my mind. Unfortunately, our Roman conquerors had other plans.
By Mark Gagnon4 days ago in Fiction
Comments (26)
Congrats on Top Story!🥳
Xyphoid, zest, vultures! Great usage of vocabulary and imagery; you paint a picture of concern for a likeable subject. Well written.
Wonderfully done, JR! Particularly loved this line: "You were never one to quit, on people or tobacco."
Gorgeous The title sealed the deal for me, the rest was a bonus
Intense and well written
Lovely piece, the cadence was beautiful. Love that it was written almost like a letter to a loved one.
Lovely piece, the cadence was beautiful. Love that it was written almost like a letter to a loved one.
Engaging and expertly written, your story held my attention, leaving me eagerly anticipating what happens next. The way you skillfully blended emotions and suspense makes it a truly captivating experience. Please take a moment to read my work as well!
Back to say congratulations on your Top Story! 🎉💖🎊🎉💖🎊
You're doing amazing work—keep it up, congratulations!
Congrats on the TS
Great layout of this topic! Nicely done. 😍
Well, I just found my favourite, and that is saying something, because there are some wonderfully written pieces out there. Yours just evoked such a passion and emotional struggle I was caught up it . A very big congratulations
I loved this. It was very well written, and great job on the abecedarian !!!
Boom. Two for two, J! Well done on a stunning Top Story!
Oh my! This is fabulous! A contender for sure. So much great stuff here. The characterisation is stunning. Outstanding!
MY word...I don't really think I can follow what others have said so well. But, this is a remarkable piece...beautiful, poignant tribute to a mother, and I assume, your mother? So much is so relatable and yeah...I would pick out favourite lines, but many have been mentioned....the flow was just stunning. Just, yeah! I can imagine this placing, very easily. Well done, Sir. I will be back to say congrats when it's Top Story too!
Omggg, only when I reached vultures I realised that this was an Abecedarian! You executed it so smoothly! Your poem was so poignant and emotional!
Oh! ❤❤❤❤ Speechless.
My mother was also a smoker...and all her siblings. Loving tribute to your mom, though....my favorite, "When vultures circle, you're always there, wielding words of wisdom;" As a mother, I try to do this for my grown children
Well told.
Truly awesome imagery. Beautifully written.
Awesome & amazing lines!!! Love it!!!💕❤️❤️
Oh man. This is excellent. So many amazing lines to love, but got me "Always there, armed with a hug and half a heart, loving unconditionally, as though it's the only food you need." Well done.
Wonderfully descriptive of a true mother's nature & boundless love. Wizened before her time, regretting none of it.