(Please resist the urge to read this as rows in left-right sequence. It is designed to be read as columns in top-down sequence.)

                                                     I have:

                                                         armhairs

                                                        trembles

                                                         my favorite long-sleeved

                                                         blood red dress shirt

                                                         non prescription glasses

                                                         a couple patterns folding

         I have:                                         over in my head like

             fallen behind                               one long congested formula

             550 down in                                 5 little trigger fingers

             2 or 3 hours                                5 little white flags

 

        I have:

              fingernails

              settled in felt                                  I have:    

              2 cubes of ice peeling                                 tics and illuminations

              strengthening weakening                                 measured unsubtleties

              a 4th drink                                              fishing lines and espionage

              small monuments                                         shower curtains  

              greens reds blues                                      unsteady focus unstudied

              yellows grays symbols                                  weak armhairs

              currency current swim keep current                     Jack/8, off suit

              keys       a new haircut                                 150 on big blind

              a new radiator and an old cat                          5 weapons

              waiting                                                        5 treasons

 

              trembles                                                      tics

 

                      You have:                               

                        2 bored strippers                    

                        fake nails rattling

                        your shoulders

                        1 burly wristwatch

                        tougher than your moustache

                        checker suit bowtie

                        You have a permanent laugh

                        You have a permanent good time

 

                       sophisticated agitator

                       pusher, You have:

                                     taken a 1.7k with

                                     three other sharks with

                                     a pair of black 9s You have:

                                                               crawled

                                                               under

                                                               my

                                                               skin

 

 

                                                 a ballpoint pen you keep

                                                 twirling clicking shuffling

                                                 a good luck charm?

 

                 You have:

                      the tallest stack on the table

                      tornado tattoo on your left forearm

                      dead green eyes

                      refuse to move

                      salty teeth

                      silver tongue

                      six feet of skin from hair

                      to heel

                      fishing lines and espionage and

                      profession of the language

 

                                 under:

                                     heat lamps

                                     compliments

                                     the precision of deception

                                     slightly above:

                                             swollen bags

                                             under eyes

                                             growing

                                             heartbeats

 

      You will not hold my blood,

      You:

            will grow outgunned

            You will:

                 sear and melt and sink and become:

                        a peeled glacier inside of me

            You will:

                   become                   

                   dragged,

                   become you:

                         have called

                         150

                         to meet the blind, you are:

                                                the only one

 

                                        5 triggers drop one

                                        at

                                        a

                                        time

 

                                        check

 

to fence is:

     to waltz is:

          to play is:

               to fumble is:

                     to cull

    my derision        we have:

                           flopped

                           7/8/10

                           2 spades

 

                                                                        I have:

                                                                   mid pair

                                                                   with a strong kick

                                                               You have:

                                                           sweat beads

                                                           long-awaited

                                                           low pair?

                                                           outs? chasers?

         turn                                              pushers?  You have:

         king of diamonds I have:                                       thrown

                 bluffing power, I have:                                350

                        a yardstick                                     the sweat bet

                       a beating hose                                   5 machines

                        endless eyes                                    call

                        endlessness

                            he:

                           checks

        I bet

        750

           go

           toss

           leave

           you burly fuck, you

           arrogant, tanning bed sitting

           hair gelled greasy tooth

           son of a bitch You have:

                       an outside strait

                       or a flush draw You have:

                                     ghosts

                                     you are chasing ghosts you are

                                             feeling, turning chips

                                             and fake tits and dirty money and

                                             that goddamned motherfucking

                                             pen You have:  dirt

                                                  because dirt is what made you

                                                  and dirt is where I will send you so go home

                                                  burly man, pack it up I have

                                                  money to go I have rivers I have

                                                   won now go away go the fuck away You Have:

 

                                                                                   folded

 

 

                                                                        I scrape my chips

                                                                        I have:

                                                                            one small victory

                                                                        I have

                                                                            to throw in

                                                                            my small blind

 

February, 2014

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