house of cards

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she parted us like cards.
you: the king, she: the queen
and i?

i?

merely a ten now, rapidly
dissolving.

she knew her card tricks well.

you remember when you and i were
kings of our own suits?
we vowed peace as we knew
we were brothers in heart and soul.

no matter how
your diamonds blazed with passion
and a feisty greed.

no matter how
my spades elegantly pondered,
sharp yet serene.

we were leaders:
unprejudiced and wise and
bound by brotherhood
and warmth.

and now?

now.

we're disappearing.
she folds us up and blows us away,
draws us only to shoo us.

"i will show you a trick,"
she vows as yet another card fades
and you simply clap in glee,
amazed at your own destruction.

you were blind to even see
your empire fall before you

you were blind to even see
your own brother tumble to his knees.

for my spades are nothing
but rusted, pointless spoons serving
no purpose but to feed her
ever-growing ego.

for your diamonds shall surely
fade and lose their shine;
maybe crumble into dirt,
slowly tarnishing into insignificance.

and with every sly trick,
with every cunning illusion,
we're slowly, slowly coming to an end.

with one last malicious swish
of those oversized sleeves
our house of cards finally
topples down...

and you and i?

you and i.

dethroned for good.

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