Cigarette Shade Poem by Phillip Erb

We share the shadow of steel and stone
Noble as two lions on savannah
Instinct introduced us and I get the feeling
We can both survive longer as a pair
Not haggled by doubt this time,
So long as we don't wonder why

We share the shadow of steel and stone
Forlorn as two refugees - strange pilgrims
Joined by oppression and the respite afforded
By this our temporary sanctuary
If each of us can swallow our unspoken advice on our own
We just might make it tonight and come out in the morning
With our hearts and minds intact, don't look at it too close,
Lest we go blind from the horror of not knowing why

We shared the shadow of steel and stone
Full of shame like two adulterous lovers,
Guilty only of cheating ourselves
Our bond wound solemnly together with thread of bad habits
Two speechless hearts broken beneath the burden of silence.