Man of Smoke

I see smoke where fire does not exist

It's me, I walk in perpetual grey

Where I walk fire could never be

The demise of permanence avoids me, that would be too kind

I'm a man of smoke

Avoid the tinge that greets you at the touch of me

The trick comes in illusion, you can't see the flame kiss my flesh

But it'll kiss you if you graze me

That's the trepidation, the suffering is understated

It breathes in silence

It gets lost among the pollution

I am the man of smoke

I inhale the tendrils of grey but my lungs know nothing more

They survive on nothing less, it pretends it's abundance is giving

I live by daylight but never see the sun

I escape in night but the dark already envelopes me

I am a man of smoke

I ask only that you do not touch me if you walk through

The burden will attach itself to those who seek to be a beacon at sea

Good intentions will be wasted on an overcast ocean, and every ship will gather that it was not prepared to fare such bad times...

I am a man of smoke

I come without a compass, I come without foresight

I see only where one foot can pave inches in front of the other

I am a man of smoke

Beware of what's within the smoke screen

It is not a cry for help, it's an attempt at loving myself harder

If I solely embrace my own toxin