cold turkey

he tries to go cold turkey.
no smokes.
but he has no back up plan.
no gum
no patch, no inhaler,
no
method or plan
to escape
the addiction to nicotine.
there is no safety net
to catch him
when the nerves get jangled.
when anxiety hits.
instead he
walks out in the freezing
rain
to buy a pack
when the toxic habit overcomes
him.
he doesn't want to be in
this sick
relationship with cigarettes,
but it's what he knows,
what soothes him,
what makes him feel better
when the chips are down.
despite
the smell, the coughing,
the gagging,
the stink
and sickness that it
causes to his heart
and lung,
his soul. it's no unlike
bad love.
trust me. just quit.