A non-smoker's tale
A nonsmoker
Stuck between two smokers
Unwillingly inhales smoke
His face distorts
Head aches
Craves to breathe
Fresh air
Rises up and leaves
Smile flickers on smokers’ faces
A sign of their apparent victory
Over the helpless ‘other’
Won through smoke
The violence of the moment
Silent sufferings
Violation of basic rights
Freedom to breathe
Fresh air
Perhaps unseen
Unnoticed
Perhaps not
Perhaps both seen and noticed
But ignored
For a few dollars
More
posted by White Square at
1:32 am
8 Comments:
Ah the dilemma of democracy vs freedom, where a majority(if you are lucky!) win out over a minority - who is free to voice disapproval or possibly even move.
Does fresh air exist any more? Does anyone really have basic rights?.
Ilike the way you ended this with reference to money (business) and also the brand name of a cigarette, plus a reference to Clint Eastwood movie where the fastest gun rules. Very clever writing.
AAs a smoker myself, I have seen the laws change from where once you could smoke anywhere..schoolrooms, hospitals, buses , theatres and even hospitals, to a world where we are relegated to a few outdoor areas and made to feel like lepers. All this whilst the governments allow this killer to fill their coffers. I try to be a thoughtful smoker around others and don't even smoke inside my own home. I remember how I hated the smell as a kid.
Good writing.
Cheers
Glenn
Hi Glenn,
Reading your comment makes me feel very intelligent and clever and I am so thankful to you to bring out such fine points in my poem.The bigger issues of democracy and freedom come out clearly and the struggle will go on with an added dimension of the market forces.
Your comment is so special to me Glenn...
cheers!
hi abhay..I dare to say, these days democracy and freedom means silence and violence........
oh sorry! i should have said "may I" instead of "I dare"..that would have been more polite or democratic way perhaps!!!
Hi Rachana,
Never mind about that...thank you so much for your comments and you are democratic i know...
This is a wonderful piece. The selection of the smoker vs. the non-smoker is an appropriate vessel for the discussion of Liberty and Choice. The sad fact is that people see freedom as a ticket to do as you please. We have developed a culture devoid of reasonability and that is what liberty is...responsibility. Yes, it should be a right and people should, to an extent, do to and for themselves as they please but must also pay the piper. So the nonsmoker has the right to be in public without inhaling someone else’s choice and the smokers have the right, if they so please, to inhale ten packs of smoke a day. The thing is, the non-smoker doesn't change the air for the others.
Oh, I hate it! As a non-smoker having to breathe smokers' smoke, it's the worst! Even outdoors, when walking behind someone smoking, you can't help but breathe in those noxious fumes. I always try to get ahead of the smokers, so the air is better. Terrific poem, Abhay!
@Ozymandiaz
Thank you so much for your insightful comment...that shows the way ahead for us..
Hi Tara,
Thank you so much for your terrific compliment...helps me..
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home