Poem: "Games and Catastrophes"

[ysabetwordsmith]

This poem is spillover from the December 2, 2014 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by prompts from natasiakith andtechnoshaman. It also fills the "five things" square in my 9-1-14 card for the ladiesbingo fest. This poem has been sponsored by EdorFaus. It belongs to the Schrodinger's Heroes project.


"Games and Catastrophes"


Game night in the Teferact
was always interesting.
Alex and Ash gathered everyone
in the common room to start.

They played Plum Stones
because Ash loved it, and then
Schrodinger pounced on the basket,
knocking Alex's pits under the couch.

That led to round of Laser Pointer Tag
in which Alex flicked the red dot
around the room trying to touch people
while Schrodinger swarmed after it.

Quinn wanted to play Twister,
an objective complicated by
Schrodinger twining between
everyone's limbs as they balanced.

They had to stop to explain
to Evil!Schrodinger that no,
World Domination was not
an acceptable pastime.

It always ended with Alex and Ash
playing Texas Foldem, the hologram
glowing with two dozen colors of chessmen
and their hands busy with cards.

Schrodinger had fallen asleep
in a limp puddle of fur draped
over the arm of the couch,
laser pointer caught in his paws.

Alex and Ash played until they, too,
fell asleep, leaning together
like milk and coffee blending
inside the smooth curve of a cup.

* * *

Notes:

The Plum Stones Game uses fruit pits as dice. Explore a lesson about it.

Twister is a game based on physical flexibility.

Many cats enjoy laser pointers.




Texas Foldem was introduced in a previous poem within Schrodinger's Heroes. It's a mix of chess boards, poker cards, and quantum mechanics.

Comments

Cats and laser pointers

[dialecticdreamer]

We had a cat who would look at the dot, then trace it back to the human's hand, and sit on his haunches with a look of "Well, NEXT?" He's become our cat intelligence test, although (of course) the cats we've adopted since his death were OURS, permanently, it was nice to have only one exception to that pattern of intelligence.

Schrodinger treating the laser pointer like the very real trophy it is fits perfectly in with our favorite cats' behavior!

Re: Cats and laser pointers

[ysabetwordsmith]

>> We had a cat who would look at the dot, then trace it back to the human's hand, and sit on his haunches with a look of "Well, NEXT?" <<

LOL yes, that's what usually happens when I try it.

>> Schrodinger treating the laser pointer like the very real trophy it is fits perfectly in with our favorite cats' behavior! <<

He seemed like the kind of cat who would quickly identify the real target.

[janetmiles.livejournal.com]

I like the images, especially the last verse.

Yay!

[ysabetwordsmith.livejournal.com]

Gaming is an important part of family life. I'm glad you enjoyed this little peek at it.