Listen to the world’s best poetry read out loud.
The Game
by Jo Shapcott
The Game - Jo Shapcott
The Game
involves balance and not stepping
on the cracks. It involves a blank sheet
of paper and folding it to make a bird
in flight. After that there is juggling
with two bean bags and three
oranges. Because it is a game of skill
and chance, there are dice. It is
a game for one person, though
there may be others in the room.
The game can include tokens, which
often depict the heads of animals:
I have seen a dolphin, an Egyptian cat,
elephants and snakes: these days
an avatar is commonly used. You will be judged
by the one you choose. Do not play
if you are shy; do not play if
you do not have the right equipment.
There are colours in the game,
more than you can cope with, including
a kind of ultraviolet, at the far end
of the spectrum where bees see.
A result is when the bird has soared,
the dice long lost, and you are still in it.
uncollected poem: Jo Shapcott 2018, used by permission of the author