He wasn’t supposed to be smoking
and if his wife saw him
she’d have had a fit.

But with the cherry blossoms in bloom
and the little petals filling the breeze
in just the right way
he couldn’t resist.

Wondering over to the smoking area
he bummed a smoke from some stranger
who glanced at him knowingly
and even smiled sheepishly
before giving him a cigarette.

The first draw on it
was immensely satisfying
and why shouldn’t it be
but as he began to exhale
it was at that moment
he saw her.

– matt at shadow of iris
the smoker