Queen of Diamonds

Aditi Garg

Questionable luck in her hand, yet

Unflinching in her stance, I 

Envy her—me, a titular queen in awe of the real deal,

Even as she gnaws at her cuticles, thankfully

No one notices her tell. I am but a mid-worth tender,

Offering her her win today; elsewhere when she

Fights, her heels don’t really

Dig in. Her hands have a practiced ease,  

Impossible to learn without years of 

Assured agility of someone

Married to errands; while I stiffen in the deck barrack—

Off a few paces from the cloying royal figureheads, 

Near a sorry lonely jack and some commoners, shuffled away from my estranged sisters, 

Doomed to stick face-to-face with my excuse of an ex. I’ll

Seize my glory when she plays her hand.

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Objects of Our Affection is a series exploring our connections to the furniture and objects that make our spaces home. Through stories of tables, chairs, and that odd-shaped thing only you love, we celebrate the inanimate pieces that hold memory and witness our lives.

If you'd like to contribute your own story to this series, we'd love to hear from you. Micro-essays, poems, reflections, and fragments welcome. Write to us at hellothadi@gmail.com. Word limit 400.