Come Back To Me, Ciggie

Anneka-Rose Galletly

Oh, how I love you, Cigarette.

Your morning breath,

in a sigh, your final moments of completion.

Come back. / Leave me.

You’re killing me. / You give me life.

You’re the devil. / I don’t mean that.

I’ve had this awful temper since you left me.

None can tame it,

behold it, births it into horrid words in inopportune settings.

Darling, I’m a mess without you.

 

Don’t you know what you’re doing to me? Of course, you do. That’s why you do it. That’s why I need it—why I need you.

 

Delicious, tragic, hungry for my illness, Cigarette.

Will I be beholden to you all my life?

Will I spend evenings pining?

Lonesome mornings with coffee in my left hand,

and the loss of you in my right?

They say out of sight out of mind, but how can that be true,

have they never met you?

 

Perhaps a compromise?

We’ll keep things casual, how ‘bout that?

When people ask me about you, I’ll say:

“Oh, her? It’s only social, nothing serious.”

When they ask about me, well…

you can say anything at all—whatever you like.

 

Family cannot know. They’d be devastated. You know as well as I do my love, that they’d never approve. They’ve never liked me with you—they’re the reason we parted after all those years happy together.

 

Say you’ll consider it. Say you’ll at least think about it?

About me? You are?

How could you say no and be thinking of me?

 

My love, I only hide you, to protect you.

Darling heart, angel face, light of my life, please

I beg you.

 

No? Very well… I’ll respect your decision.

Would you be so callous as to leave me without a final kiss?

You’re right, you’re right.

I know—you’re right.

It’ll only make things much worse…

To hell with it.

Author: Anneka-Rose Galletly is a Gold Coast based, emerging writer. Her passion for writing stems from a desire to examine the human condition. She believes that within the deconstruction of existence and consciousness lies the yellow brick road to cultivating a deeper connection to the communion of humanity. Insta handle: anneka_rosie 

Artist: Lilian Martin is a writer, poet, and now artist based in Meanjin/Brisbane, who wants to publish their own zines one day! They used to be keen on the art thing in high-school and have slowly been trying to ignite their visual spark once again. They have begun incorporating visual elements into their writing career by designing magazines, doing illustrations, and making graphics for the QUT Literary Salon. You can find both their writing and visual work at https://linktr.ee/lilianjmartin.

Editors: Isa Velasquez and Tracy Channell