Fanning His Hand Carefully

Fanning his hand carefully
Eyeing the cards one by one
Mentally arranging them
To their best purpose
Even before he moves
A single card

Picking up this card
Discarding that one
Studying the choices
Of his opponent
As he compares them
To his own strategy

Not a sound in the room
But the soft click
Of cards on the table
And the even softer breathing
Of the two card players
On a still afternoon

Possibilities glimpsed
Chances lost and risks taken
An ever shifting pattern
Of tactics and ploys
A tapestry woven by
Two opposing seamstresses

Unhurriedly collecting
The latest card laid down
And placing it into his hand
He plays his own discard
Face down without a word
And smiles in victory

@}>--'---,----