smoke house

they love to smoke.
all day.
into the night. one after
the other.
the ashtrays
are full of grey ash.
they don't care what anyone says.
the surgeon general
can go jump in a lake.
the ceilings have yellowed.
not a window open
as they inhale the blue
fumes.
it's hard to breathe
in there, how they cough
and rub
their noses.
pick pieces of tobacco off
the tips of their
tongues.
their finger tips a soft
orange
glue.
before a meal, after a meal,
during a meal.
a drink or two,
they squint and bend towards
one another
with a new lit match.