The Card Dealer
A Poem on Connection
There comes the time when we must connect. - Michelle Liew
This is for Vocal’s Holiday Reflections Challenge and Mikeydred’s December prompt.
*******************************
On Candlebright Lane, as Christmas eve falls,
A shadow creeps, his form dark and tall.
“Draw a card,” he cajoles, his red eyes gleaming,
“To shape your fate this coming evening.”
******************************
The townsfolk gather, all beguiled,
Hoping for love, luck by a mile
A seamstress draws, “Success, be mine!”
A widow scores, “ A love divine.”
*******************************
Hand on the deck, he pulls with disdain,
“May I have peace,” is his refrain,
The dealer nods, his voice iced frost,
“Peace is not yours if love is lost.”
*******************************
The man then leaves, in the thinned crowd,
The cold wind blows, its echo loud
In his coat, he finds a new card
“Go to them now, before they lose heart.”
*******************************
Heart thumping wild, he flies through the street
To his mother’s home, his sisters to meet,
The family he left, still grasping him near
The Card Dealer leaves, the vision now clears.
About the Creator
Michelle Liew Tsui-Lin
Hi, i am an English Language teacher cum freelance writer with a taste for pets, prose and poetry. When I'm not writing my heart out, I'm playing with my three dogs, Zorra, Cloudy and Snowball.
Keep reading
More stories from Michelle Liew Tsui-Lin and writers in Poets and other communities.
New Normal
There is always a moment — small, quiet, almost forgettable — when the spark stops being a warning and becomes a state. It never looks like a turning point from the outside. It’s not a dramatic shift. It’s not a cinematic beat. It’s a subtle internal click, a recalibration so slight that only someone who has lived this cycle as many times as I have would recognize it.
By Elisa Wontorcik6 days ago in Poets
Comments (7)
An intriguing tale… excellent lines: “ The dealer nods, his voice iced frost, “Peace is not yours if love is lost.”✅
Really enjoyed this one!
May I have peace - That is what we are all looking for. - Well Done!!
This was fab, Michelle. I loved the storytelling in it.
A mysterious dealer, a chilling deck, and a man who finds more than just a card—this one’s got all the feels wrapped in intrigue! Love the twist at the end; it’s like fate whispering, "Don’t forget what truly matters." A perfect holiday tale with just the right touch of magic!✨
“Peace is not yours if love is lost.” Oooo, that line was so deep. Loved your poem!
⚡❤️⚡