House of cards

HOUSE OF CARDS

Won't you build
A House of Cards with me?

It goes like this:
You have your deck
and I have mine;

You place one card,
Now I place one up against it.
There -- see?
They stand together.

Now it's your turn
Now mine --
Wait; wait for me...
You need my card
to hold yours up
There -- see?
Isn't it pretty?

And on and on
In mirror-like co-motion
Gently; gently...
I watch you watch me
There -- see?
Look how tall it grows!

It's not so easy now:
We are building stories upon stories
Careful; careful...
One, and two and three
Try not to breathe --
There. Good.
Exhale.

A tiny moment
of inattention --
You didn't meet my eye
Or maybe my own gaze had wandered
The slightest ripple in the room --
and down it falls.

One card misplaced,
And our House
folds in on itself.
Instant collapse.

...Won't you build
A House of Cards with me?
It goes like this...

7/9/02