card games
ace of hearts
murder is easy
when you're only killing
yourself
gun cocked, blood drawn by
the blade of a kitchen knife
•••
jack of diamonds
drunk off the alcohol of your
gaze I have flown but
now I think I'm falling
I never knew what it meant to be
my sun and stars before now
•••
three of spades
the roots of the tree have dug
into the canals of my veins
and my breath is heavy
there is sand stuffed into my
cuticles and fog under my nails
•••
king of clubs
gallant and aggressive with skin on your palm raw from the rope wrapped round your neck
suicide is an option bound in the risk of failure and regret
Just Another One
The gun was in my hand. The barrel was on the back of his head.
"So what's it gonna be?" My voice echoes through the room, "A quick painless death or a slow regretful one?"
"How about the one that doesn't end in death?" He chuckles. He's trying to sound sure of himself but I can tell he's scared. His feet are tapping in a fast rhythm. There's a pool of blood under the chair he's sitting in.
He's a big man. Most know him as the Ace of Hearts, and actually, I don't even know his full name either.
"Hey, Ace," I start, "What's your real name?"
"Don't mess around, kid. If you're gonna kill me, just do it already. You kids are always trying to drag things out nowadays, you don't know the value of-"
He's interrupted by the cool gun slapped across his face.
"I don't remember asking for your opinion Ace," I said cooly.
"My names Jack," he muttered, "Jack Mars."
"You white people and your one syllable names," I mutter, "Hey, why didn't people call you Jack of Diamonds?"
"Cause my names in it you idiot," he says as the gun meets his face again.
"Honestly Jack, I wonder where you got this big mouth of yours from." I walk away from him and take a drink from the alcohol stashed in the safe. It's the only thing in there. I take another swig, a long one. I walk back to Ace and see his head hanging down to his chest. He'll never get to see the sun again. He'll never be able to go to a park with his family and look at the trees just for fun. But scumbags like him don't deserve it. I didn't get all the way here to start feeling bad. That's not who I am. So I slowly walked toward him and pulled the gun up and shot him. The loud noise rang throughout the entire empty building. The shot caused a spark and it lit up the disgusting place.
"Another one down," I say, "just another one."
Smoking Gun
A tired man
His only sun, his utmost joy
The very blood in his veins
His late wife
Taken by another
In a fit of rage, alcohol-fueled
Her tree of life
Cut down in an instant
His cards are all out
From Ace of Hearts
To Jack of Diamonds
To the Deuce of Spades
Buried and gone is his bride
His hands hold a dim grey gun
Debating
Wanting
To join his lover once more
Under the tree.
A card, an Ace of Hearts. rested in my pocket,
I cocked the gun, as it was aimed directly at her.
The scent of alcohol, whiskey to be exact was on my taste buds.
With sun out, we were under the tree.
I pulled the trigger, her she fell to her side.
Blood trickled down her forehead.
My eyes widened, I couldn't believe what I had done.
My sweet love, no longer breathing.
In her hand, a card was there.
The Jack of Diamonds.
Tossing the weapon aside, I fell to my knees.
Kissing he, hoping she would come back.
My Queen of Hearts.
Dead, because of me.
Nearly Dead
I am shocked to life from my deep sleep by the piercing roar of a train, passing through behind the forest of trees. Instinctually, I swing to my feet, just to find the signature of alcohol beat in my head, knocking me to the ground. Knowing I should lay down a moment, I try to grasp the faded memories of last night, which are slipping away by the second, last I remember I was at a table with, I believe an Ace of Hearts and Jack of Diamonds. There was a detail I do remember though, that one man. With cheap clothes, masked in the scent of car oil. With every play we looked more and more pissed off. His fist knocking on the green countertop, with a face like he's ready to kill. I open my eyes to the sun shining in through the blinds, stretching across the room, and smacking down on my face, blinding my left eye. I flatten my hands and push myself up, just to limp and nearly hurl. I need to get to the bathroom. Looking down at my white t-shirt, I realize my clothes are painted in dried blood. I look into the unstable mirror at my curled over the knees body, with a ripped shoulder sleeve, beaten face, and now that I look at my side, a bullet from a gun.
Family Tradition
This man was a crazy man, he was always leaving his children neglected in a trailer park, his shirt was never buttoned up despite the -10 degree weather in Detroit, and he believed that he was God. Yes, I said it, God. He enjoyed ruining people's lives with his tongue twisting named beers and his belching. He believed that people were all the damned creatures on Earth that would lead to his destruction. That wasn't true, in fact, he lead to his own damn destruction.
He leant up against a tree one night while the moon was low with a cigarette hanging from his lip, beer in hand, singing some white trash anthem. He wore his father's old sunglasses and he had tussles of hair all over his head, swaying with the night's air.
He laughed out loud to some unknown thought when suddenly the wind blew a card to hit him, smack dead in his face. The Ace of Hearts was the only card that he could see. It didn't bother him at first, not until a gun was pointing to his skull. It was a demon. His name was Saul Lu Grey.
"I'm Saul Lu Grey, you dirty little fucker and my card slapped you. You know what that means?" Saul asked him.
"No, I don't know what your damn card mean you fucker." he said to him.
"It means you have one heart and I'm here to collect. I will have that pretty little piece of artery right before the sun come up, and your pretty little children won't have a papi no more." the demon replied.
"You're a damn lie, leave me the hell alone."
The demon disappeared but the man hadn't. He stood there under the tree holding the card dearest to his heart while choking uncontrollably. In his hacking he began to hack up blood. The pearls of red rubies covered his face until he was on the ground in awe.
His son, Peter, was in the trailer eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. The boy was only 10 and knew nothing about the realities he lived in, until the curse fell on him. The wind whispered, and under the trailer door came a Jack of Diamonds. The same card his father received when he too was 10. He picked it up and hugged it close to is chest.