Rolling Luck
The marbles roll
on a patch of dirt–
colored transparencies
shine in the afternoon sun.
She watches carefully;
her big brown eyes
roll with the little marbles
deft fingers on small brown hands
shoot each marble toward the hole
in the center of a circle–
there is hope
of winning
whereas
in the square room
that sits unevenly
under a metal roof—her home
built to stand
but sure to fall
under the monsoon rain dance–
one can only lose,
without a chance.
© Neetu Malik
Some of Neetu’s Books
-
November draws me
into bleak arms -
crow flies overhead
I hear pandemonium -
last night’s hurricane blew the roof off
pieces of felt lay on the street like bits of rubber tires -
She needs to dig deep
to pull the roots
that grow under her feet
to do so requires strength -
my room
a sanctuary
at the end of the day
Featured Books
SERIOUSLY, MOM, YOU DIDN’T KNOW?
Life is a silver lining for those of us willing to scrape the surface of adversity.
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ADVENGING THE EARL’S LADY
He’s the most irritating, inscrutable, insufferable lord in the kingdom.
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FOREIGN RELATIONS
A foreign woman is dead, two countries want her forgotten. Detective Finn O'Brien wants justice.
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