Loaded Dice

The dice tumble across the table,
careening maddeningly toward the edge.
One, three, four, two, three.
Numbers flicker like a momentary flame
struggling against the numbing whirlwind –
existence.
Each colored dot reflects a new facet,
a side of the faded face.
Each one, two, and three represents a part
to a randomly determined whole.
Each number not only a symbol,
but a possibility of who could be.
One—the child held onto with dirt-covered hands.
Two—the maturing youth brimmed with dreams.
Three—the rebellious teen with fist held high.
Four—the man striving for hope in a darkening world.
Five—the false self full of smiles.
Six—the true self yearning for release.
The momentum slows.
Time winds down.
The tip teeters over and settles.
Six dots, clear as the morning,
blazing brightly as the sun.
Fate takes a turn, weighing down on truth.
Blustering hate and howling cruelty
push the true self over the barrier,
spiraling downward for eternity.