houses of cards

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It is a simple enough sleight of hand
to hide behind rigid pieces of paper,
fanned or even
built into a house.
No one can blame us
for seeking shelter where
it is found,
for the ground makes a poor bed
and you always want to lay your head
somewhere soft and warm.
But when the cards fall where they may
and we are forced to play
those last few tricks
just to stay in the game
we begin to realize
how flimsy our illusions are
against stone and bone and wind.


William F. DeVault. all rights reserved.