Written by, Joel

I find I must be wary of dragons
Because some are recognizable,
And some are not
Once in my youth
A green one
Came along
Chameleon-like with charm
Breathed his vapors on me
And smelling their sweetness
I rode with scaley scaley visions
Replacing all of my dreams
With empty drago smoke
I couldn’t see
That under the tie dye and love beads
A sinister reptile lurked
For twenty two years
Night and day
I rode him
Till he rode me
Marijuana
Insidious dragon
“Can’t hurt you, can’t hurt you, can’t hurt you”
He says, snaggle toothedly grinning
Twenty two years
I rode him till he rode me
And for a while
I became a dragon too
Lurking and luring
Little green buddies to my fold
I don’t know how
But one day I turned, lance in hand
To spear his surprised naked throat
And though he didn’t bleed
I often remember the smell of the smoke as
He burned and died
Sweet
So I must be diligent
Forever wary of dragons
For some are recognizable,
And some are not

Published in A New Leaf – October 1991