inhaling smoke from fire and
it feels good
and it pleasantly washes down a shot of imported gold
but i can still breathe, and
the burn in my gut tells me i haven't yet had enough

so, i reach for one more

and i reach for one more
and i reach for one more
and i reach for one more

soon the page is blurry
and the vision is clear;
making no less than total sense

it begins at birth;
you cannot escape the hurt

just as energy is never destroyed
it is merely transferred

pain[.]