A Man Had to Make HIs Choice

 - A Man Had to Make His Choice -

By Lynn Bueling

A man had to make his choice:

roll your own or tailor-made.

There was certain craftsmanship

in a man’s ability

to take a Zig-Zag paper,

furrow it just right, shake flakes

of Bull Durham from the bag

(which featured the well-known tag

that fluttered from a pocket)

curl one edge of the paper

under and roll the other

over; then with a quick lick

seal that tube for good measure.

To take the craft another

step, he’d reach into his pants

to extract a kitchen match,

and with a flint-thick thumb nail

scratch it to a plume of fire.

Then with double-cupped hands

he’d ignite his creation

— even in mean gusts of wind —

for a few puffs of pleasure.

Of course it wasn’t always men. One lady character I’ve found who went by the name Mustache Maude displayed her Bull Durham tag from her shirt pocket. She’s a strong character, and I plan to do more writing about her.