dirty yellow city lights...

Smokey Lips - Michael Kim

Under a dirty yellow light in the misty evening air,
the night and my lungs get clogged with the city’s breaths:
the cabs’ humming and the silent drumming
of a thousand different deaths

And you were quiet and speechless
though your lips were parted and inviting,
and I was quick and thoughtless
thoroughly intoxicated with liquid courage

So as my heart consumed my reason, and I dived towards your face,
I imagined that I had become a fierce lion,
pouncing on a gazelle,
or a daring knight
on a downhill cavalry charge

But little did I know, as I claimed those smokey lips,
black under the shadow of our faces,
that that would be our first and final kiss

I guess at that moment I was wild and blind,
foolish and young, too young for you,
meeting your lips over and over and over again
And even though the gray smoke from your lungs
filled the space between us,
it was the most delicious thing I had tasted
in a long time

And yet, if I knew what was to transpire,
I would rather have had you push me back
the moment my lips touched yours
You should have repelled me with your exhalations,
back into the bar where you thought it had all started



I liked this poem so much that I felt a need to post it. This is written by my friend MK.