“Nikki” by Dylan W. was not the poem I expected it to be. From the title, I assumed it would just be another poem about someone’s tragic love story, but  “Nikki” turned out to be a heartbreaking, but powerful story. In this poem Dylan described his brother’s “nicotine thirst” and how he was losing his brother “a little more with every pack.” Smoking is an unhealthy addiction to nicotine that damages the user’s lungs over time. It is deadly and can lead to many diseases including cancer. However, even knowing this, users continue to smoke cigarette after cigarette, pack after pack.

Smoking upsets me because people will only face consequences. For one, smokers are damaging to the environment as they create pollution, air and land. Secondly, they are damaging to their families because it results in second-hand smoking and a loss of money. Most of all, they harming themselves. This is an issue that worries me, especially since my father is a smoker. He knows very well that smoking is terrible for his health but he still hasn’t made the effort to quit. I know that getting off an addiction is difficult, but it is so much better than suffering from a disease later on or dying an early death. I hope he will come to realize that soon.

I wish there was an easier to save him and many others from “Nikki.”