Same, Old

The thought of smoking,

not the smoke itself,

which befouls the mouth and lungs

with every puff,

The thought of drinking,

not the drink itself,

which is all at once too much

and never enough,

The thought of living,

not the life itself,

which tends to tire and rankle

at every stage,

The thought of doing,

not the deed itself;

the sense that knowing this

won’t help you turn the page.