smoke lazily climbing up
from your cigarette,
you mindlessly gaze across the table.
our eyes meet;
the misplaced spark jumps
from the green plastic
in your hand.

"we are simply caught between
the greedy hunger of
yes yes yes
and the bitter pinpricks of
no no no,"
you tell me.

i sound my response
with an invented cough;
the waiter
puts it out
with a frosty
glass of water.