A Game I Could Never Win

I placed my heart upon the board, A gambler’s hope, a dream restored. With trembling hands, I rolled the dice, And paid my love’s unholy price. You smiled—so distant, yet so near, A fleeting warmth, a whispered fear. I called your name into the night, But echoes never answer right. I built you castles, laced in gold, With walls too weak, with floors too cold. Each promise cracked, each vow betrayed, Yet still, I begged for you to stay. Your touch was glass—so sharp, so thin, It let me in, then tore my skin. I bled in colors you won’t see, A masterpiece of misery. And still, I played, despite the cost, Each move a loss, each turn star-crossed. I should have walked, I should have known, Loving you was meant to go. Now, here I stand, with nothing left, A broken soul, a hollow chest. You were the game I longed to win, But love was rigged—I lost again.