11 Comments
User's avatar
Virginia Curtis's avatar

To be one of the cool crowd. Then you realize you're cooler. I like it. Love, Virg

Gary L Taylor's avatar

Beautifully done. I love how you've structured it, too.

Friction Burn's avatar

The last line completely recontextualizes everything that comes before it. It turns a small gesture into something much more universal... the quiet ways we try to earn our place in a moment. Beautiful Lila <3

kajal's avatar

So well written omg I love the structure and especially the final line!

Vexx's avatar

I love how the spacing accentuates the movement of the poem, to me it also evokes the space between people, and the cigarette becoming the binder of connection. Wonderful work!

Lila Cave-Park's avatar

thanks so much!

Antonio Castellaneta's avatar

That final line redefined the whole poem for me. It wasn’t about the cigarette at all — it was about the quiet longing to belong, and the small compromises we sometimes make just to feel included. Honest, vulnerable, and beautifully observed.

Lila Cave-Park's avatar

yup, you understand. thanks for reading!!