5.

his absence is felt

most strongly in day three.

i am told that in the

third day

of not smoking

the body begins to ache.

sick from without

the drugs that carried

blood cells to heart

and oxygen to lungs.

i imagine that

it is after

three days

that the top layers

of comfort and pleasantries

peel off only to reveal addiction.

lungs and hearts

sick from the realization

that they cannot live

without this nicotine.

death has been in them

too long and they do not

quite know how to rid themselves of it.

it is so blatant,

so obvious to say,

but addiction runs too deep,

cuts us out so raw

that i think it takes

three days

to withdrawal.

it takes three days to

rid the heart and the lungs

of all of the dusty residue

they might feed off of.

organs like crack addicts

licking the payment

looking for a crystal dropped.

three days to feel the want,

to feel the absence at its strongest.