Usually I begin my day with the same routines. 
Waking up, putting on the coffee and hoping 
the quiet remains a steady feature of the day. 
Lighting that first cigarette is the best. It is the 
one that carries the most flavour. Inhale the 
smoke and sip the caffeine. Fill the air with my 
habit like a dragon starting to perform his 
feats of magic. The caves of hidden desires 
are not so easily forgotten in the early hours 
of my awakening. They hint at falling values I 
am supposed to uphold. And I suppose that it 
is not the point that most of the values I hold 
are those that have been indoctrinated into 
my moral conciousness. There really seems 
to be some sort of a twisted agenda of 
following illusionary puppets who prance like 
jumping jacks on the fabric of existence. And 
I believe that even if the fabric is slightly ripped, 
as a whole we must never question the lack 
of direction. Sip from my cup and let my mind 
play with the tempting thoughts that so willingly 
come in the morning. Prices rise on everything, 
but the value never changes. Expectations 
increase, yet fulfillment never seems to be part 
of the equation. No matter how often I 
talk to other isolated strangers the focus of 
reality never seems to change. As one man, or 
as a group, the message is clear that the only 
acceptable solution is in conformity. Odd how 
afraid each man or woman is of being seen as 
different from the rest of the herd. Usually I begin 
my day with the same routines. In truth, these are 
the only things I own that are not shared by anyone 
else. Maybe tomorrow I'll just stay in bed?