Poetic Charleston Love Story: Old Cigar Factory – Original Poem

By Mark A. Leon

On a clear starry night last evening, in the distance, the lights of the Old Cigar Factory shined from within

A long way from the inflection of light that reflected off two champagne glasses resting on the edge of a windowsill deep in the corner of this deserted old building

Through one opaque window pane, the sun warmed two souls igniting a moment of enlightenment

She was a girl dressed in her evening best
He was a boy that didn’t know quite what to do

They toasted and stared into the light, cautiously peeking from the corner of their eye for that secret smile
Permission from the council in the clouds to know this was right

It was a moment that lasted a few seconds, but left a canvas impression for all eternity

Like the wind, life blew away this dream
The moment remains, engraved forever in this lock box of memories

Nervous toe clenching, hidden corner, warm dry air, secret escape

It was all part of a romance written in an Eighteenth Century Victorian style
The exhilaration of this taboo love affair played out on a stage for only the eyes of angels to see

This Old Cigar Factory has ghosts
Floating aimlessly between the dirty walls for all eternity, seeking just a simple moment of perfection

Between those two smiles, glasses of champagne and the single ray of sunlight, a boy and a girl found each other

In the dust and darkness of that third floor corner room, there was beauty and romance

A secret secured by two