Chase the tail
of Newport smoke
through tangled
purple haze.
Watch it curl
through humid air.
Witness as the tail gives
way to claws
carving crevices
into our mattresses
bed sheets
pillows.
Follow the residual
black lines
like a scaled
underbelly.
Trace the ashes
back to where
the Dragon’s eye
pulsates crimson
with each
unstable
breathe.