An Abstract of Misadventure & Misfortune

numbers, my [nemesis]

the thing about twenty six is that
totaled it’s thirteen twice &
i always push my luck

twenty six red cards &
twenty six black mix but
luck or fate or chance
stacked my deck again

i need more than
twenty six letters
to express all the
coincidences that
weave their way into
my bamboo calendar

twenty six to some
means safety, if ever
political winds blow
drafty & acts of
conscription are
thrust upon us

my quarter life crisis
showed up uninvited
but taught me
people pleasing
gets me nowhere, & fast. 
i made the most of
all i had to work with
& he did his best to mock me
but still i stood mystified
by multiples & numbers
& accepted the magic of
mathematics despite
many proofs & adverse axioms
proving otherwise

my theory is this:
there’s nothing divine in
falling to pieces &
sense can’t be made
even if patterns are prominent;
the only solution remaining
after showing my work is
there are never any answers
when reason’s needed most