#9 - To Play the Classics

this one's dedicated to my little brother over at http://www.deathofmonopoly.com/

I didn't like the challenge posted today at NaPoWriMo, so I googled poetry forms to come up with my own challenge.  Have to say, I had fun writing this.  It's a "Pantoum".  The format for the modern day Pantoum is that it is a poem consisting of four line stanzas in which the 2^nd and 4^th line of each stanza serve as the first and third lines of the next stanzas. The last line is often the same as the first.

(For another "Modern Pantoum", check out my friend's NaPoWriMo offering at http://aprilraines.digitalnovelists.com/poetry/napowrimo2013/poem3   )

#9 - To Play the Classics

An honourable opponent,

She chose the thimble, I the shoe
She lived for the moment.
She rolled the dice, her roll was true,

She chose the thimble, I the shoe,

Thimble moving in a blur,
She rolled the dice, her roll was true,
The dice, they favoured her,

Thimble moving in a blur,

Properties collected,
The dice, they favoured her,
It was as I suspected.

Properties collected,

She played the banker, too
It was just as I suspected,
As her hotels and houses grew,

She played the banker, too,

I watched from my spot in jail,
As her hotels and houses grew,
Roll doubles; epic fail.

I watched from my spot in jail,

Gleeful, she grabbed Park Place,
Roll doubles; epic fail,
Smug grin upon her face.

Gleeful, she grabbed Park Place,

My heart sinking lower every roll,
Smug grin upon her face,
Her stack of money flush and whole,

My heart sinking lower every roll,

I slowly approached the blue,
Her stack of money flush and whole,
What was one to do?

I slowly approached the blue,

So close was I to losing,
What was one to do?
A final act of poorest choosing.

So close was I to losing,

I stood and tipped the table,
A final act of poorest choosing,
The legs must have been unstable.

I stood and tipped the table,

She knew what it really meant,
The legs must have been unstable,
For, I'm an honourable opponent,

- Laura Freeman -
April 9, 2013