Early Morning Cigarette

He got in his car, wearing his plaid pajama pants, and headed straight to the gas station. From the moment he woke up, his mind was fixed on the tiny cylinders he was about to purchase. Filled with a dangerous, psychoactive material, these cigarettes sit on the shelf behind the clerk, conflicted about their meaning of existence. The tobacco rolled in the paper urges the man to complete the purchase; he buys them without hesitation. After being purchased, the chemical filled cigarettes regret their appeal, knowing what is yet to come. He can’t even wait to get out of the store to break open the seal. As he lights the stick, it instantly calms him. The smoke he exhales on each breath is a reminder to him of all of the damage being done. The remaining cigarettes in the pack wait patiently to destroy his insides, yet relieve his stress. And the next morning entailed the same.