Her whole family hates smoking.
She told me one day window-shopping
for puppies. I had one going at the time,
and she said, “My whole family really
hates smoking.” I nodded and said,
“Okay.” I didn’t really know what that meant,
though. Did they sit around the dinner table
taking turns saying: “It’s a nasty habit.” “Yes,
a nasty habit.” “Such a nasty habit.”
“Don’t they have any respect for their bodies?”
They must have been pretty committed.
And so was Mona. And so
she dumped me. Then, get this,
Matt says he sees her out
the next night with another guy—
and this one’s got a cigarette in his face.
I couldn’t believe it when he told me.
The guy was blowing smoke rings as they sat
alone together at a café. Then he reached out,
grabbed the rings and placed them
over Mona’s hands like bracelets.
I could have done that.