Smoking Stupid

[Achebe]

I remember her, the older girl
with plated, bronze skin.
After we made love one lonely afternoon,
she started up talking about my soul,
how it was like a box of niceness, tied
with frightened pieces of cotton string.

Later, she asked me for a cigarette.
I rolled my eyes, Only for stupid folks.
She replied maybe it was time I started.

Been smoking a pack a day
with thin lips ever since.

S1 is superb. Loved 'plated, bronze skin' (plated reminds me both of hard / tough and covered with piercings and rings), 'lonely afternoon' - although a common expression, it sounds natural in this poem. 'box of niceness' is evocative. 'frightened pieces of cotton string', though, I thought was lovely nonsense.

S2 and S3 represent a comedown from the drama of the opening, but still make for entertaining reading.