In the Castle of No Satisfaction

Rebecca Hazelton

July 7, 2014

If I leap and the flag falls
then the princess
must be in the assigned building—

for god’s sake
let’s not have a repeat of last time
or I will tear this mother-
fucking pixeled piece of shit DOWN

look I have
as much patience as the next man
but there are limits

when I move across a space
I expect someone to save

a place for me for someone to care
if I follow them
from castle to castle

it’s not about
reward
but it might be
about sliding down a pole
and calculating that score

I thought
your hair
across the grid of a pillow’s weave
was a code I could input for flying
I thought the achievement
we reached at the same goddamn time
meant something more
than just a level procured

if I’m the dragon I’m the one you made me

if I’m the plumber
this is my wrench thrown
against the soft peach of your skull