When Winning Was by Kenyatta Garcia

Someone said ‘fair’s fair’
       fair is fair
              obviously
                          a fair
Carny-filled
       with rides and arcade.
Gum stuck everywhere within reach
sugar spun to floss
and games.
                            * * *
Came all this way
       for the experience
       of losing money
              on a guy
guessing birthdays.

But the tattoos and piercings
and blockhead and knife throwing
make up for it a bit.
                            * *
Powdered sugar diminished the look
cultivated
before backing into this state.
                             *
At a point in development
       when one understands tautologies,
       style comes quick
       even if a
sheep is a sheep
regardless of the shade.

And the flock is crooked, hooked, clichéd
into similarity

Water will reach its own level
until overflowing bath and being thrown out
with baby
who survives to repeat the process
but not until learning
how to walk through the hall of mirrors
and settle into teacups
to end with a wet floor
and a stuffed bear
bought
when winning was impossible.