Cigarette: The Messenger of Death

Cigarette: The Messenger of Death

 

 

 

Introduction:

 

It comes in a small cylinder

of white rolled cover,

a-four-inch-processed-tobacco-

leaves,

which becomes very active

from slow and low combustion

sustained by heat.

 

Call it cigarette-

maybe cigar-spit tobacco,

perhaps, hookahs, menthol,

bidis, clove or kreteks,

probably, shisha or hubby bubby,

dry or moist snuff, chew tobacco, and

suck;

there are siblings of

same parents-tobacco leaves-

they look alike,

they do almost same job

in the body,

more so, cause nearly

same effect on their users.

 

A killer agent-

world acclaimed

messenger of death;

a-seven-thousand-

chemical-created-substance-

when burned,

a tenth-a carcinogen agent-

cancer-caused-sickness,

third leading killer machine

around the globe.

 

Origin of Cigarette:

 

Tell me where thou came from,

tell mankind, who created you,

tell the world-why so popular;

with Pandora box of evil-

still, a hunger-after and

a darling among the

sons of mankind-

you have become.

 

Mayas! Aztec!! Uaxactun!!!

How did it begin?

Indians-why did your

prized briar-from Tree of Health-

now turned- a curse or malediction?

 

Africans-after centuries-

why have your suck,

dry, and moist snuffs-

remained symbolic swords

that lick blood unceasingly?

Chinese, why did pipe,

which at a time gave

joy and happiness to man

now turns man’s airways to

both furnace and chimney?

Christopher Columbus-

why did you accept:

“Certain Dried Leaves”

from San Salvador natives

on your arrival at Bahamas?

 

Roderigo de Jerez-

why becoming the-

first European cigarette smoker?

With your-seven-year-jail-term,

it served no deterrent-

rather, your habit spread like gangrene-

a habit-now-turned-global-culture.

 

Oh! Sixteen-century sailors-

on New-World-Europe bound

routes,

why every time- “The Mighty Leaf”

cargoes of death

always found on board en-route

Europe?

 

France, Portugal, Spain, and Britain-

why on tobacco bandwagon?

Oh! Europe and her people-

Why did you accept?

Why did you adopt?

Why did you promote, and

spread the culture of

cigarette smoking ?

 

Today, humankind is haunted

by the five-century-gift to

Christopher Columbus

on Samana Cay, Bahamas;

rather than be an alba of

croon song  produced

by serenade,

the gift turned albatross,

encumbrance to man’s

immediate and future happiness.

 

Roderigo-why did you become

a ready human laboratory

to test-run smoke through

your respiratory track?

 

The Stack Reality of Tobacco:

 

Yes, it looks very attractive-

do not be deceived-

it is ugly within,

it looks like

statue symbol object,

never-it adds no value to life;

regardless of proximity-

somehow, it may look very harmless-

Caveat emptor-

it is a body of poison,

 In a stick of cigarette

is nicotine,

a psychoactive stimulant-

prolonged usage turns user

to substance dependent individual.

 

In a shaft of cigarette  

are nitrosamines and

hydrocarbons-

destructive agents of

deoxyribonucleic acid DNA;

in rod of cigarette-

is hydrogen cyanide-

a damaging agent of:

heart and blood vessels.

 

In a stalk of cigarette is-

carbon monoxide-

the damaging tool of red cells;

in a stick of cigarette is ammonia-

it helps make nicotine more

addictive,

that man in perpetuity  be

hooked.

 

In a stick of cigarette is-

Tar-brown residual that stains

teeth,

in a stick of cigarette is-

cadmium- a damaging tool

of kidney;

in the stem of cigarette is-

formaldehyde- known to

causing nasopharyngeal-

the back nose leukemia.

 

Cigarette-a home to

Polonium-210-

Radio-active element,

which destroys the skin.

 

Chromium and butadiene

reside in you-

cigarette,

both are lung cancer agents;

Arsenic and Benzene are

tenants in your courtyard-

giving mankind cancer,

destroying heart, and

darkening  blood vessels.

 

Acrolein and nitrogen oxide

have residency  in you-

cigarette,

causing irritation through

pollution.

 

No thanks to

more than twenty million deaths-

in the past five decades,

from trillions sticks of 

cigarettes consumed during

this period;

an accomplishment by  

nearly a billion individuals

on the planet.

No job, no profession

no trade, no group,

no society, no club,

not even a good cause

has a large following like-

cigarette.

 

A commander that

commands with the

spark of fire,

a stealer, mankind graciously

invites home to rob,

then compensated.

 

More Smoke to inhale,

More money to burn:

 

As conveyor belts-

roll out trillions cigarette sticks

yearly,

it means more flame to burn,

more smoke to inhale, and

more bank notes to incinerate.

 As modern Bonsack-

roll out more messengers of

death,

it means more money-

to spend on cigarette-caused-

illnesses,

more loss in productive hours,

more deaths to harvest, and

more cigarette-caused-child-

deformities.

 More troubles for society-

more fire incidents,

more pollution, more sickness,

more addiction-and

health trouble for tomorrow.

 Merchants of death

When shall we hear-

it is enough-messenger of

death,

which travels in packs.