Checkmate

Maybe I’ll lick my savage knuckles
or shoot arrows at the sun

And if our anonymous devils dance
after slipping on their potential tap shoes
we might play the waiting game
	they’ll click click
away as paparazzi cameras
flash phosphorescent lights and
strip us

down to our Botoxed skin. Maybe our ethereal moon winks
its coy smile as our clouds drip crumbs and I might
vanish in the fog, consuming time.

But if she should flush pink and bittersweet,
dices might roll
—Vegas gambling 
with Fate’s silver dollars—
and chess pieces might move forward, 
pawns played on black and white squares
hypnotic sea anemones breathing

‘Cause here’s my King and Queen,
they might say,
and they’re Bigger and Better than yours.
But possibly they’re not quite looking at the game, 
eyes half-glued to the metal mechanics of
their phones click-clicking like ponies prancing
as they speak revolving words.

Maybe fold forth
copper eyelids salty earlobes
perhaps lick the sugar from the celestial concrete where our shoes
erase our corrupt footprints.

 And will we open? maybe.
then suddenly—
Checkmate!

Maybe this overdose
is safely diagnosed 
and snapping ribbons frayed
this drug we call love, possibly it’s all about
who might be most comatose,
where we sleep in earbuds, implants, spray tans

and perhaps our time’s running out, and
maybe I’ll count your breaths,
your puffs of silver cigarette smoke that could be
tarring your lungs and lips
as I kiss you I might taste your inner clock

a stopwatch counting down: tick tock:
consuming your time with me,
swallowing, stealing
Checkmate. god’s winning.
Copyright © | Year Posted 2011

Poem

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Jane Avatar
January 1, 2012 at 5:40 PM
Your gift for expression in remarkable... I love all your poems, thank you.
Jones Avatar
July 11, 2011 at 7:14 PM
Whoa.... awesome! About 6.397 poems in this one... at LEAST!
Schmidt Avatar
July 11, 2011 at 7:58 PM
Thank you so much!
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