Fragile circles

You blew the smoke ring—

round but lopsided,

wobbling in the stale air of the bar.

It hovered, a soft promise,

perfect and crooked,

then popped with a wet snap,

vanishing before I could catch it.

We hold onto moments like that,

try to shape them whole,

but they break—

snap,

and all that’s left is empty space,

the ghost of a circle

where nothing can stay.