Game Theory

Nolan put on his Nintendo 64

in that farmland basement

and handed me one of the controllers.

Hunting me down

in this GoldenEye game

with a few of his

friends.

It was supposed to be each man for himself,

but they hunted in packs.

Like wild hyenas.

All because he wanted nothing to do

with his present girlfriend

and a lot more to do with mine.

I imagine it a plan hatched in advance.

Premeditation as the lawmakers say.

To make me look as bad and inadequate

as possible.

But I couldn’t care in the least.

Handed my controller off to one of the other girls

who made them put on Sonic the Hedgehog.

So she could collect all the imaginary gold

while my girl and I sat upstairs

and drank.

Watching the sun go down

through this window

over the sink.

In control of the music

and maybe some our lives just

for that moment.