Smoke Tail

A sudden tail
of smoke twitching
away and to the left,
moving contrary to the patterns of air flow
you’ve long observed in this room,
sets you to considering
that a window may be open
somewhere
that was not open before;

it tells you that you may not be
the only actor
in the house,
that another may have been here earlier,
opening windows
or shutting doors
without your knowledge;
you are not even certain
that you’re alone now.

That errant smoke is such a tease:
does it promise
death or seduction?
Is there, possibly,
either a thug or a lover
in the next room?

It’s a relief to think
that one way or another,

loneliness may not be permanent.