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Pocket Pool
IN THE BEGINNING
THERE WAS BLACK
AND THERE WAS WHITE-
NOT QUITE OPPOSITES,
NOT QUITE ALIKES,
BUT THEY HOLD IN COMMON
WHAT THEY DO OR DON'T DO
WITH THE LIGHT.
BLACK COMES
SURROUNDED BY BLACK´S FELLOWS,
A NEATLY ORDERED TRINITY;
BUT WHITE TOO
HAS WHITE´S FRIENDS, AND
ONLY SEEMS
TO COME
TO THE TABLE ALONE...
AH BUT THIS IS ONLY A MEANS
AND NOT THE END!
YOU THOUGHT
THERE´D BE A POCKET
FOR EVERY COLOUR;
YOU THOUGHT THAT BLACK AND WHITE´D
EACH FIND THEIR RESPECTIVE CORNER.
BUT HERE THE STALEMATE IS WORSE
THAN THE SCRATCH.
HERE THERE IS NO PLAY
WITHOUT CONTAKT,
NO GAME
WITHOUT BREAKING.
IT'S WHEN YOU FINALLY REALIZE
THAT ALL THE BALLS ARE ON THE TABLE,
AND THAT THEY´VE ALREADY BEEN
BROKEN - IT´S THEN
YOU BEGIN
THE LONG SLOW PROCESS
OF LEARNING THE ANGLES,
LEARNING THAT FOR EVERY ACTION
THERE IS AN EQUAL AND OPPOSITE
REA(TRA)CTION,
LEARNING HOW TO PLAY
SO NOONE GETS
SNOOKERED.
HERE THERE ARE NO CORNERS,
NO POCKETS TO DISTRACT;
HERE THERE ARE ONLY TRIANGLE
AFTER TRIANGLE AFTER TRIANGE
IN RED AND YELLOW, BLACK AND WHITE,
STRETCHED OUT IN A MIGHT RAINBOW
ACROSS AN EMERALD GREEN SKY;
HERE THE ONLY THING
TO KEEP BLACK AND WHITE
TOGETHER
IS THE GAME -
THIS ... ENMESHMENT.
YOU KNOW THE ODDS;
YOU´VE READ THE RULES;
YOU CAN SPEND YOUR WHOLE LIFE WAITING
FOR YOU CUE...
SO LET THE GAMES BEGIN,
JUST MAKE SURE YOU
KEEP ONE FOOT
ON THE GROUND AND
REMBEMBER
THE NEXT TIME YOU SAY
LET´S RACK 'EM!
THAT IT JUST MIGHT BE YOU
THAT´S ON THE RACK,
AND THEN
MY FRIEND,
THERE CAN BE NO
LOOKING BACK.
