Touched by innocence

The cigarette tastes like shit
so I hurl it
into the gutter
unsmoked
unloved
chewing the fat with myself

"If I was a girl
I'd be anorexic
I couldn't be anything else"

Half of me knows why
but is too coy to tell
so I tell it to go to hell
and walk

The kids in the street
are giving free sweets
and smiles
to passers by

"Why?" I ask

They look at me
giggle
and smile again

"Because we've got too many"
they laugh
and up in the sky
the clouds are moved to
call a halt to the rain

As I eat the sweet
the sun shines
and I walk down the street
passing on smiles
stop on the corner
to wave goodbye
and shout

"Thank you"

But they're far too busy
handing out sweets
and smiles to strangers