A man sits by the window with a cup of tea and a deck of cards, waiting for a tuna casserole in oven 325 degrees, snow falls outside.
First Deal (left to right): ten black, four black, King red, ten red, three red, seven black, Queen black
Queen black on King red, turn six red, six red on seven black, turn two red, red three on four
black, turn King red;
Deal five black, five black on six red, turn nine black, nine black on ten red, turn nine red, nine
red on ten black;
deal Queen black, Queen black on King red, turn five red, no move;
Deal Jack black, no move;
Deal three red, no move;
Deal four black, no move;
Deal two black, two black on three red, turn ten black, no move;
Deal King black, no move;
Deal five black, no move;
Deal eight black, eight black on none red, turn five red, no move;
Deal queen red, no move;
Deal five red, no move;
Deal nine black, no move;
Deal Jack black, no move;
Deal Jack red, Jack red on Queen black, turn Jack red, Jack red on Queen black, turn King black,
black ten-red-nine-black eight on Jack red, King black to open space, turn Jack black, no move;
Deal Jack black, no move;
Deal five black, no move;
Deal seven black, no move;
Deal six black, no move;
Deal eight red, eight red on nine black, turn five red, no move;
Deal ten black, no move;
Deal five black, no move;
Deal seven black, seven black on eight red, turn five red, no move;
Deal six black, no move;
Deal four black, no move;
Deal four red, four red on five black, turn ten black, ten black on Jack red, turn nine black, no
move;
Deal five black, no move;
Deal Jack black, no move;
Deal three red, no move;
Deal nine black, no move;
Deal five black, no move; game over.
The man turns to the window and watches a black dog play with its human friend in the park across the street, snow continues to fall, the park lamps illuminate. He sips the tea, and deals again.
Second Deal: Queen red, two red, King Red, ten black, four black, seven black, eight red.
Seven black on eight red, turn Queen black, Queen black on King red, turn five red, four black
on five red, turn three black, two red on three black, turn ace black, to pot, move king red to open space, turn nine red, nine red on ten black, turn two black, no move;
Deal King black, no move;
Deal eight black, eight black on nine red, turn Queen red, no move;
Deal two red, no move;
Deal eight red, no move;
Deal Queen black, no move;
Deal ace red, ace red to pot, two red to pot, turn three red, three red to pot, turn four black, no
move;
Deal Jack red, Jack red on Queen black, turn ace red, ace red to pot, turn ten red, ten black-nine
red-eight black on Jack red, turn seven black, no move;
Deal ten black, no move;
Deal King black, no move;
Deal five red, no move;
Deal Jack red, no move;
Deal six black, no move;
Deal six red, six red on seven black, turn three black, no move;
Deal ten black, no move;
Deal King black, no move;
Deal five red, no move;
Deal Jack red, no move;
Deal six black, no move;
Deal four black, no move;
Deal ten black, no move; Game over.
The man returns to the window and the park; the dog and its companion are gone. Smoke billows across from stage-left. The man turns, languidly, almost expectedly, into it, but does not move. Curtain.
AKP: Museum of Thrown Objects (BlazeVox 2010); My Worth (Black Lodge Press, 2010); Between Here & the Telescopes (w/Elizabeth Guthrie; Slumgullion, 2008). Some recent journals: The Offending Adam, Dusie, and The A sh Anthology (Fact-Simile Press). MFA: Naropa U. BA: The Geo. Wash. U. Co-founder/editor: Livestock Editions. Currently: living: Mass. Reading: Hannah Weiner, Philip Whalen, Carla Harryman.