poem Thimble

THIMBLE

Wee token of play,
tough talisman of

the competitive
race round the gameboard,

durable totem
of old property

under pressure. The
unshielded finger

feels needles, the cute
metallic doggie

follows food to its
master, the little

cannon, overreached,
easily tips. Stand

and pay, advance and
render. Surrender

to the rentier
its due. Papers trump

silver, primacy
mobility, a

full row of hotels
beats a flush of ones

and mortgaged railroads.
Go and go, fresh with

cash and alive with
the prospect the cards

today might flip your
way, your thimble might

prove as nimble as
the tiny race car

you chose to forgo.
Feel your piece, know your

place, the four corners
owned elsewhere. Know the

give and take. And know
you’ll never break the

geometry of
monopoly. Pay.