Peculiar in his particularity - v3

Standing before me, vibrating,
I could see his mind reeling,
his spirit overwhelmed,
almost hyperventilating.
 
An image of Rasputin, sweating,
complete with beard, cross, and vestment,
steeling himself, gathering his senses,
rehearsing every line.
 
Peculiar in his particularity
his order for his smokes
his means to his ending
sooner than he may think.
 
Not a single pack or a carton
doing slow mental math,
like Rain Man counting toothpicks,
determining how much poison to buy.
 
------
Edited March 6, 2023
Peculiar in his particularity – v3
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2023/03/peculiar-in-his-particularity-v3.html
Edited December 8, 2022
Peculiar in his particularity – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2022/12/peculiar-in-his-particularity-v2.html
11/30/22
Peculiar in his particularity
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2022/11/peculiar-in-his-particularity.html
 
All of my poems, photographs, and videos are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024. All rights are reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss (raymondafoss@gmail.com)  for usage. See all 53,000+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

cigarette, retail, poetry, humanity, customer,
 
#poetry #humanity #retail #cigarettes #poetrytwitter #poetrycommunity

Peculiar in his particularity – v2

Standing before me, vibrating,
I could see his mind reeling,
his spirit overwhelmed,
almost hyperventilating.
 
An image of Rasputin, sweating,
complete with beard, cross, and vestment,
steeling himself, gathering his senses.
 
Peculiar in his particularity
his order for his smokes
his means to his ending.
 
Not a single pack or a carton
doing slow mental math,
like Rain Man counting toothpicks,
determining how much poison to buy.
 
------
Edited December 8, 2022
Peculiar in his particularity – v2
https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/6437456/2912642923619995923
11/30/22
Peculiar in his particularity
https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/6437456/8447909974816685172
 
#poetry #humanity #retail #cigarettes
All of my poems, photographs, and videos are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024. All rights are reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss (raymondafoss@gmail.com) for usage. See all 53,000+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Peculiar in his particularity

Standing before me, vibrating,
I could see his mind reeling
almost hyperventilating
an image of Rasputin,
complete with beard, cross, and vestment,
gathering his senses.

Peculiar in his particularity
his order for his smokes.

Not a single pack or a carton
doing slow mental math
like Rainman counting matches,
determining how much poison to buy.

------------------ 

Edited December 8, 2022

Peculiar in his particularity – v2

https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/6437456/2912642923619995923

11/30/22

Peculiar in his particularity

https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/6437456/8447909974816685172

 

#poetry #humanity #retail #cigarettes

All of my poems, photographs, and videos are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022. All rights are reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss (raymondafoss@gmail.com) for usage. See all 53,000+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

A Cigarette Butt – v2

It was the incongruity

drawing my eyes, to focus,

the foreign color, out of place

no longer in the desert,

Iraq or Afghanistan, in country

sand camouflage on the Humvee

merging with me, on the city street

rimmed with dirty white

snow piles, days after the storm

He was in the Hummer

in my rearview

Guard fatigues, short, just-cut hair

A butt cupped, awkwardly

in his hand, as if

hiding the glowing tip

from sniper fire

outside the Green Zone

in downtown Baghdad.

I wonder if he knows

what it looks like, out of place,

to an observer, in the rearview.

Had he lived that life

when a dim cigarette ember

could have cost him his life?

Would he have to go back

for another tour of duty;

would it even matter anymore?

edited June 25, 2014

A Cigarette Butt – v2

March 7, 2008

A Cigarette Butt

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2008/03/cigarette-butt.html

Canal Street,

Manchester, NH

All of my poems are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014. All rights reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss for usage. See all 30,710+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

A Cigarette Butt

It was the incongruity
the foreign color, out of place
sand camouflage on the Humvee
merging with me, on the city street
rimmed with dirty white
snow piles, days after the storm
He was in the Hummer
in my rearview
Guard fatigues, short, just-cut hair
A butt cupped, awkwardly
in his hand, as if
hiding the glowing tip
from sniper fire
outside the Green Zone
in downtown Baghdad.
I wonder if he knows
what it looks like
to an observer, in the rearview.
Had he lived that life
when a dim cigarette ember
could have cost him his life?
Would he have to go back?

March 7, 2008
Canal Street, Manchester, NH

All of my poems are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014. All rights reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss for usage. See all 30,710+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.