your switchblade silver
metal cigarette lighter
was your true bad boy
badge that every time
you opened the half
dollar shiny
lid
made a loud enough click!
to let the world know
that this thirteen or fourteen
year old punk
was about to smoke a cigarette
but not before
a thumb that a few hours
earlier held a green
school pencil
now caressed
a small steel wheel
which tip-sizzled
an almost pinky finger
tongue because
you always gave extra length
to your wick
so that when
you lit
your Marlboro
everybody else would see
one of Satan’s fingers
about to caress
your lips
Shame
to snuff the devil back out
But not before a cop
car had slowed
to an eye-balling cruise
because when you are
young and have an attitude
only God can punish such an angel
who made his First Communion
but not Confirmation
when he told the priest the opposite
of Love you
But for the next few years--
--and especially when you got
your license
and began to light up something
other than tobacco
