SMOKING REQUISITES

by ray pool

Thursday 9th March 2017 10:21 am (first posted Wednesday 8th March 2017 10:23 pm)

The ancient couple sit side by side

in perfect harmony

I have given them a home.

To be precise: two ashtrays

one of malachite, rich dark

lustrous green with conchoidal rings

and its companion

lapis lazuli, royal blue streaked

with fool's gold

both smoothly scooped

for stubbing out

Having now no purpose

other than to give exquisite pleasure

as created from fiery depths

in their dotage, so natural together.

I know they will see us all off the planet

and the story they tell with their tiny wounds

will be one of the frailty of smoke

a cosmic destiny, a guilty joke.

Comments

raypool

Sat 11th Mar 2017 22:57

Thanks Suki - as a musician I learnt that if you have a strong start and a good finish you have a result - I do try for a nice ending.

suki spangles

Sat 11th Mar 2017 22:13

Pleasure for pleasure's sake - nothing wrong with that. I love the last line: "..a cosmic destiny, a guilty joke".

Suki

raypool

Thu 9th Mar 2017 22:31

Colin, I am a rare pipe smoker, but ashtrays are not involved in that. Mainly I send smoke signals to my wife, (she loathes the smell). Talking of the art of stone ashtrays, I did have one in serpentine (from the Lizard in Cornwall, blue and veiny(like me). I knew a draughtsman once who had a piston ashtray made from a 600cc pot from a Panther single m'bike, that was a beaut. I love old artefacts and am an avid collector of bits and pieces. Thanks for the compliment, I try to present a variety as you know.

Thanks for your comment Paul, goodonya.

Thanks everyone for the likes too!

Ray

Paul Waring

Thu 9th Mar 2017 18:17

Lovely Ray. Hope short comment suffices as only just flown back today and everything is still up in the air. Aythangyow.
Paul

<Deleted User> (13762)

Thu 9th Mar 2017 07:56

you could display your whistles in them Ray ?

my old ashtray is knocking about in the garage somewhere but not as glamorous as your malachite and lapis lazuli ones - mine was fashioned from an old car piston.

it's ironic how such a grim pastime was afforded such luxury accessories and how such beautiful stones were turned into items to be stubbed on and piled with stinking ash and butts.

as always you fit so much into your poetry which makes it so pleasurable to read. As an afterthought, perhaps there are craftspeople somewhere who can repurpose these old ashtrays into something new and beautiful like jewellery.

Col

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SMOKING REQUISITES

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