you are familiar.
i know the feel of your hands, the taste of your tongue,
the parts of you that deserve the most attention.
i know you.

we used to smoke cigarettes in my car,
windows down,
music loud,
laughing out the window,
we were alive.
getting high in the sunlight,
warmth surrounding us,
summer days turn to summer nights,
warm,
electric,
real.

but our blood no longer runs crimson.
rather, we are cold and blue,
false bodies, false promises,
fraudulent smoke from a fraudulent pipe.
our teeth are still white,
but our smiles are unfamiliar.

"how are you?"
i ask.
lighting a cigarette, you look at me and reply,
*"fine."