the catalyst

i’m trapped inside a room of mirrors:
six of them are surrounding me...

i guess
i’ll be staying here for a while,

waiting…

i take out
a cigarette
and the reflections
follow...

i place the filter
between my lips
and light
the edge
with a match...

i sip the white air
out of the stick
and take
a deep
breath -
bitter air sends a flame down my throat...

and we all
exhale
smoke...

so much smoke
from so many images
all coming from
one matchstick...