Smoke Break
By Dave
The smoke rises, carrying my thoughts,
A ribbon of ritual, born of the flame.
Each breath a tether, each exhale a release.
My porch, my tabernacle, silence wrought,
Where ash and ember whisper my name.
The smoke rises, carrying my thoughts.
Stray cats, my high priests, observe and plot,
Their quiet presence steady, untamed.
Each breath a tether, each exhale a release.
No gods are summoned, no creed is sought,
Yet meaning lingers, elusive, unclaimed.
The smoke rises, carrying my thoughts.
This act, this stillness, this peace I’ve caught—
A fleeting truth in the ritual framed.
Each breath a tether, each exhale a release.
Let the smoke unravel what time has knotted,
A fragrant echo that needs no acclaim.
The smoke rises, carrying my thoughts,
Each breath a tether, each exhale a release.