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Open Poetry #33
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A reposting of a favorite LongJohn poem.
| Open Poetry #33 |
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A reposting of a favorite LongJohn poem. |
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Youngatheart Member
since 2003-12-30
Posts 333 |
LongJohnAg is an awesome writer and I am hoping that by reposting his work, we will encourage him to put pen to paper again. We miss you, LJ. The Wisdom of the Aces Last night I dreamt, in my fitful sleep, of all the things I sought, Of the selfish ways that characterized what my life had wrought. I dreamt of a place where games of chance demanded a higher stake, And the ante to play was paid by withdrawals from a different kind of bank. I dreamt I was walking through a casino of tables and roulette wheels, Each highlighted but for a moment, then becoming vague and surreal. Then just ahead, in its own special light, a table and chairs appeared, And the woman there, in her black velvet gown, beckoned me to draw near. She sat at the felt-covered table across from an empty chair, With a deck of cards before her, she invited me to sit there. "I notice this table is empty," I said. "What are the stakes to play?" "Nothing you haven't gambled before, and won't finally lose today." "How much do you need for my ante?" I said as I gazed on her face, Confident in my gambling abilities, ignoring the tone of the place. Her emerald green eyes held me, I surrendered to their control, "Surely you know this game by now; just a piece of your soul." I'm always looking to get ahead, no matter the terms of the deal, And I was flushed with the hidden passions that her green eyes made me feel. So, eagerly I anted a piece of my soul to receive the cards she dealt, The corners of her mouth uplifted as the first flashed o'er the felt. Lifting the corner slightly, the ace of diamonds whispered to me, "Trust in the riches you already possess, not in the ones you seek." I smiled at this sage bit of wisdom; but I gambled by opening the bet, A piece of my soul wouldn't cost much considering all I could get. The next card appeared before me, as if coming out of thin air, Bending it back only a bit, an ace of clubs greeted me there, "Trust in your soul to guide you; you'll never lose your way again," I chose my own direction and bet more of my soul on the hand. Each time I'd raised she'd pondered my bet, then, with her knowing smile, She checked the balance of my account, then added to the growing pile. "Can you really afford to play this game?" she said with a wicked laugh, Pinning me down with emerald eyes that had reduced my soul to half. The table hissed as the next card came and burned where it touched my hand, An ace of spades joined the diamond and club, but I failed to understand: "Trust the power of life to bring you joy, not in what could have been." As with the others, I ignored this advice, and added to the pot again. Though salvation lay in the cards in my hand, and in how I played this game, When I lifted my eyes to the dealer, I felt despair for my soul all the same. She held me pinned with her emerald gaze, with confidence in her eye, Though I held three aces in three cards, my spirit and throat ran dry. I licked the sweat from my upper lip as I prayed for the final ace, And the ace of hearts sailed across and rested in its rightful place. "Trust the power of love to save your soul, for nothing can buy it back," The advice it whispered fell on deaf ears; four aces can do all that. A smile teased onto my lips as I welcomed this turn in my fate, Four aces are rare and, without a doubt, worth the rest of my stake. Her emerald green eyes flashed again as she dealt the last of the hand, Whatever the card, it didn't matter, the aces alone would stand. "The bet is yours," she counseled, "Remember the stake that I've set." "I'll wager the rest of my soul," I announced, not understanding the bet. Her wistful smile reassured me as I laid the aces out one at a time, A diamond, a club, a spade, a heart. I knew that the pot was mine. She laid her straight flush on the table, with fire flashing in her eyes, "You should have folded and saved your soul, but you had other things to buy." "Now that you've nothing left to play, this game has come to its end," "You carelessly gambled away your soul, and you'll not have that chance again." I staggered away from the table, but there was nowhere else I could go, There are no suitable destinations for a man without a soul. I reflected on all the things I had before I'd foolishly paid for my hand, And realized the wisdom of the aces was now easy to comprehend. Then I awoke and sighed with relief, for it had only been a dream, The felt-covered table, the deck of cards, and the eyes of emerald green. But just before those visions died in the light of the coming day, I heard again, somewhere deep within, the wisdom of each ace. "Trust in your soul to guide you and you'll never lose your way again." "Trust the power of life to bring you joy, not in what could have been." "Trust in the riches you already possess, not in the ones you lack." "Trust the power of love to save your soul, for nothing can buy it back." |
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iliana Member Patricius
since 2003-12-05
Posts 13434USA |
Absolutely tremendous writing! Thanks for posting. Bravo! Bravo! Very entralling!  ....jo |
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LeeJ Member Patricius
since 2003-06-19
Posts 13296 |
Tremendous writing, best I've ever read...wow...I'm sitting here speechless and deeply greatful for the repost of this... I hope he returns to gift us with his amazing talent. Thank you for sharing |
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Margherita Member Seraphic
since 2003-02-08
Posts 22236Eternity |
Thank you, dear Youngatheart, for sharing this wise and beautiful poem. It was absolutely worth to be slowly absorbed and pondered over! Love, Margherita  |
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passing shadows Member Empyrean
since 1999-08-26
Posts 45577displaced |
I love LJ's writing too but please remember that we are not allowed to post other people's work he will write again when he's ready |
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Midnitesun
since 2001-05-18
Posts 28647Gaia |
It's an honor to be remembered and highlighted, but replying to the original to 'bump' it is the recommended way, or perhaps, an original poetic write from you with the link attached? You are right though, it is an awesome write, and we would like to see more of LJ. |
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Youngatheart Member
since 2003-12-30
Posts 333 |
Midnitesun, I tried "replying" to the poem to bump it up again but it was not in a forum that I was familiar with. I apologize for not following the proper protocol. I meant no harm in highlighting this poem and I do not think LJ will find fault in my doing so. Young at Heart |
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