after a nice evening with my mama

Christmas (and Marlboro) Lights
Sitting down to cigarettes and conversation
With one's mother signifies an interesting phaseIn a young man's life.
Talking about childhood, both his and hers,
Like equals, both with stories to share.
Both with goals and dreams and hopes and fears.
Uncertainty harnessed with resolve laced with "what-ifs."
"If I'd gotten in to the Air-Force..." she said.
"It would have been a completely different life..." he said.
"A better life, maybe..." she said.
And he said...
And she said....
And it comes back to money.
And it comes back to doing what it takes to get by.
Nostalgia finding its way in,Winding its way, and intertwining with  smoke
And memories.
Hours passing like minutes,
Minutes passing like hours.
Time slipping by like a snake that says the fruit is goodAnd the path is right.
Family run pizza restaurants and cheating spouses and 
Sandwiches cut in half diagonally with enough room
Between the halves for some potato chips.
Somewhere around cigarette number three or four
The realization that it is almost Christmas,
and that finally feels true.