despair, an ending.

your life has become a game
of three card monte
and game is rigged—
no matter how slow the dealer moves,
the red card disappears
and you are left with sand filled eyes
and an itchy throat.

you want to escape.
events are conspiring to lessen you,
each so small,
so insignificant,
but the accumulation empties you.

you want the thumbtack
darts to stop their steady barrage.
there is no portion of your psyche
unmarred.
you bleed from every pinprick hole.

so there comes a moment
more soon than you want
when you can’t do it anymore.
you are finished.
the oscillations of your stomach—
expanding, contracting,
creeping up your throat—
are too much to bear.

but when you throw in your cards,
the dealer cries checkmate—

and you’re lost.

line count: 28

Prompt ▼

Prompt for: Sept 26, 2015 (Ren)
Subject or Theme: Emotion. Any emotion. (joy, love, anger, hurt, hate, despair, fear etc.)
Word(s) to Include: thumbtack, rigging, oscillate (or any derivatives of these words)
Forbidden Word(s): I, me, my, love, hate, anger, disgust, joy, fear, despair. Do Not Use the Name of your emotion in the poem! (Aside from in the title) (or any derivatives of these words)
Additional Parameters: 24 lines, no rhyming, Use the emotion in your title along with other words.
Remember, do not use forbidden words ANYWHERE, including title or the brief description.