Ellie

14

The Game

The movements— hands
circle and shade- an object- in possession
of a child.
One who swirls above: she holds dear to her
what her mother holds dear
the dearest of all being what in which she holds.

A piano, rounded by fury flooding through laughter
Shunning the figure the form makes while
just the sound causes waves of suppressed irritation to drown away—

She’s drenched with water from a—
a fountain! Well where else?
Imagination doesn’t come on command.

It cannot be summoned.
To ‘play’ pretend would be to forfeit the game.
Yes, the game- which you lost by the way.

And then they ask how-
How can you lose when you aren’t even playing?
and that’s the fun of it,
because to win would be to know and knowing
would be to lose.

Because it flees when you call it to you.