I Quit
Lilac rash of the nicotine patch, I rub,
With parrot beak nails, singed mauve at the tips,
Pacing, to dodge smoken alleys, I entreat,
As azure flames leap to lick my tinted lips,
To tremors I concede, accepting defeat,
In frenzy I drag, fumes permeate my core,
Till lavender scented memories retreat,
I think of the frail periwinkle, once more;
With a fiery resolve I douse the lit stub,
Within these ashes I replay and rewind;
Until I rise from the purple of my mind.
Author’s note:
While purple is the colour of opulence and royalty, I have used it here to depict the cyanosis or
purple discoloration in a smoker. Smokers typically have discoloration of skin, lips, teeth , and
clubbing of nails, signs of poor oxygenation. It is also the gloomy, distorted colour of his failed
attempts at quitting the habit.
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