Surgeon General's Warning | Teen Ink

Surgeon General's Warning MAG

August 23, 2008
By Anonymous

You smell like smoke.
Not the good, grandfather kind that wraps
around me like a hand-me-down
scarf and sinks
into my skin like stories
(those fairy tales you used to mumble,
sneakily replacing knights in armor with you
and your messy smile)
It creeps off you in waves that crawl
up my nose
and claw at my brain until
my face screws into a grimace and I have
to turn away
so you don’t leave me for being ugly.
Cigarettes will kill you.



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This article has 29 comments.


on Jul. 8 2011 at 7:44 pm
billgamesh11 BRONZE, Grafton, Massachusetts
3 articles 0 photos 278 comments

Favorite Quote:
"It's always darkest before the dawn." ~Florence and the Machine

Short and sweet but it says everything it needs to.... I LOVE IT!!! <3 <3 <3 God Job!

 


lollypops GOLD said...
on Dec. 22 2010 at 3:56 pm
lollypops GOLD, Pilot, Virginia
16 articles 5 photos 218 comments

Favorite Quote:
Live

i love this article is was so poetic

on Jun. 7 2010 at 8:00 pm
littleleyah SILVER, Ozona, Texas
9 articles 0 photos 22 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;When one doesnt belive nothing good can com from that.&quot; (ME!))

everyone please read my work and comment too! many thank yous!

on Feb. 17 2010 at 10:03 am
toxic.monkey SILVER, Tashkent, Other
6 articles 0 photos 210 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;Homo homini lupus&quot;

yeah smoking is bad... what really sucks, is if you've had one, you want more for years after. trust me :P

doppingjoh said...
on Jan. 4 2010 at 3:21 pm
This really makes you think

the author said...
on Dec. 24 2009 at 6:57 pm
ha, I'm not condemning smokers. It's a character study. lordy

on Oct. 30 2009 at 10:25 pm
Travis121490 SILVER, El Paso, Texas
6 articles 0 photos 1 comment
And I had no idea there was a form of suicide that was exciting...I'm with ashley there are a lot of things out there that are bad for you but you still do it beacuse you like it.

on Oct. 8 2009 at 5:27 pm
FlyleafFreak DIAMOND, Loveland, Colorado
51 articles 0 photos 203 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;I have faith in fools;self confidence my friends call it&quot;~Edger Allan Poe<br /> &quot;In this world of infinite insanity, your friends are the best psychiatrists you will ever have.&quot;~Me

Wow! This was amazing and so true. Every smoker should have a chance to read this. In response to ashleys comment, maybe if you actually thought deeper about the poem, you would get what they are saying.

ashley said...
on Oct. 8 2009 at 11:20 am
yep, but some people like to do it!

on Oct. 7 2009 at 3:27 pm
Phantom_Girl GOLD, Ft. Carson, Colorado
14 articles 0 photos 279 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;If it comes out of the lion&#039;s mouth...it will be on the test.&quot;<br /> -Mr. Bala

Too true. Too true.

jmc.13 said...
on Sep. 16 2009 at 4:48 pm
jmc.13, Dobbs Ferry, New York
0 articles 0 photos 58 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;I&#039;d rather regret what I did than what I didn&#039;t do.&quot;

Really good. Loved it! Smoking is the most boring form of suicide.

Weatherly said...
on May. 15 2009 at 4:52 pm
thanks guys- the encouragement is great. :)

on May. 9 2009 at 3:12 pm
one_of_a_kind_girl GOLD, N/A, California
16 articles 0 photos 58 comments
looooooooove it

on Apr. 22 2009 at 10:13 pm
blackamethyst GOLD, Centerville, Ohio
11 articles 0 photos 132 comments
I really like this poem... I can relate, too. please keep writing :)

on Jan. 29 2009 at 1:36 pm
I love it. I smoke <_< and the smell ain't all that great. Despite what the other viewers say, the last line is good and DEFINATLY nessicary. It makes the poem alive. Great job hon.

on Jan. 5 2009 at 3:40 pm
Hmmmmmm. Yes, I would have to agree the last line is a bit abrupt and does and does disturb the flow some, but it also takes you by suprise, and conveys the message very straight forward while also summing it up, while the rest of the poem dances around the message.

Overall I really like this.

euagak said...
on Dec. 16 2008 at 6:11 pm
I really like the abrupt ending. In reality most things don't end slowly and sweetly. They end abruptly if they actually do end. It is good when poetry conveys this. You have great imagery and really convey the smell to the reader.

Redemption65 said...
on Dec. 15 2008 at 12:55 am
I don't get what is happening here. Is the guy describing the smoke, or is he longing for it? This does not at all make sense.

penguinlover said...
on Dec. 5 2008 at 3:11 am
I liked your poem. I disagree with the other reviewers. I liked the last sentence. Maybe you could just add a little more detail to it? You use excellent imagery throughout the poem and I think you could add it to the "Ciggarates will kill you". Maybe the grandfather could be on his deathbed as the character describes the smoke? I really liked it and thought your poem gave off a good message.

the candyman said...
on Dec. 2 2008 at 6:48 pm
good stuff right there. ;)