Burn it out - www.baileythompson.ca

Here it is, I’m going to vent

Let it all out, make me content

Do you know what I want to tell?

I HATE that God damn smell!

It’s the smell of your burning cigarette

Pushing me as far over the edge I can get

Not only can I barely breathe,

But honestly, I want you to leave

It all started with my Dad

Who made it stink pretty bad

Now its you – classmates and friends!

I’m waiting until your experimenting ends

When I see you smoke it each day

Words bubble up that I’d never say

Do you know what it’s doing to you

Do you know what that cigarette can do?

It’s killing you, you know it

I hate seeing this, burn it!

Seeing you once healthy and young

Now look at what the cigarette has begun

It hurts, my Dad was just like you

He started in high school too

He never did stop, he’s still at it

Hurting himself with each cigarette

I don’t understand and I never will

Why you breathe in smoke to kill

I know it feels good at the start

But in the end, it will destroy your heart

It’s a form to escape the pain

But honestly, what will you gain?

A diseased heart and broken lung?

That’s not right – you’re way to young!

Standing out there, you’re destroying your life

Barely different than stabbing with a knife

You’re killing yourself – not ready to die

So I’ll ask you once more… “Why?!”

Imagine me, standing by your hospital bed

Watching you die… no words will be said

Why don’t you listen? You don’t know how?

That cigarette will win. You’ll be dead now!

It’s out of my control – nothing I can do

But listen to what I’m telling you

You can stop it now, reverse it

Just burn out that Goddamn cigarette.

Author's note: I think the poem says it all. I was fed-up enough after seeing my father smoke all my life, and when I started high school it crushed me more than ever to see my friends doing the same thing.