It’s a full house,
the pair of us
and three of their kind.
I bet I don’t – 
and won’t – 
know all the hands
they’ve ever played,
but I know
there’s a shark at the table.

I hold the ace of diamonds,
curious about the cards
they’ve been dealt:
do they feel like kings?
what’s the status of the queens?
how often have they tried to bluff?

These first rounds make me
feel a little blind,
new to their nuance,
unsure of the face I put forward.
I can’t speak for them,
but there are no cards up my sleeve,
only a little beginner’s luck.