A Nonsmoker's Response to the Smoking Ban

I sit alone with my drink as the faces at my table fade.
Smoke leaks in from outside, burning my lungs.
But the heat here makes my cheeks pink up
like new blooms out of season.
I step out into the gale and suck tar clouds.
I would rather lose minutes this way,
shorten my lifespan for friendship,
if only second-hand.