Opponent

Invent your own card game,
A two-hander, with dice,
Part fortune-telling, part

Competition—tarot
Meets something like Uno,
With backgammon thrown in.

Of course, it’s a complete
Waste of time, but the point
Is to delude yourself

That the outcomes are real,
That every prediction
Will actually happen.

If you win, then only
The best forecasts come true,
Just the worst, if you lose.

Now that would be control,
Even partly random.
You’d really be playing

For exactly what would
Really happen to you.
Your wishes could come true

Because you wished them, played
Skillfully, got lucky,
And the wish to enjoy

Getting all your wishes
Was the first wish you won.
If you lost, you’d know why.

Once again—waste of time.
But consider the game
You’re playing now, game

Of many layered games,
In which even wishes
Granted cannot save you.

Wait. Why a two-hander?
Who would you be playing
Against? Who, singular?

We’ll leave that one for you
To guess. In the meantime,
Try to deal with this mess.