CONTRIBUTION: Is it Worth It? – A (Tough) Love Letter

I wonder why you pretty faces smoke countless puffs. You inhale and exhale nicotine and tobacco, like oxygen and carbon dioxide, slowly burning your own little worlds. I inquire, “Do you want your lungs to collapse? Do you want your glow to fade?”

I also wonder why you gorgeous beasts guzzle down bottles of your poison of choice until the spinning stars fade into the morning sky, as blue as your souls. I inquire, “Is the poison filtering the sunrise? Are you ready to sober up to the morning light?”

I question you pretty faces and gorgeous beasts:

– Do you not have someone at home who looks after you?

– Do you not have buddies who cherish you for your soul and energy?

– Do you not have a sweetheart who loves you unconditionally and cares for your well-being?

– Do you not have parents who crave the laughter and smile of their child in their empty home?

– Do you not have children or nieces/nephews who are excited for your arrival so they can race to you to embrace you the next time they see you?

– Will there even be a next time?

Dozens of similar questions race through my mind as I hope, “You will change someday. I know you will. In the end, it will be worth it.”

Contributed by Syeda Ali, communication major