The off duty students sat at a thin graham cracker table

Tossing pocket brushed animated cards down as

Ninja Scroll played on the counter perched JVC

You could hear them laughing, giggling, snickering

Then after 30 seconds of silence…“You just fucked me”

Popped out, drawing only sly smiles and hidden eyes

After a few cracked knuckles, the decks were reshuffled

Comically bent edges snapped under their calloused thumbs

I knew the lineup was being adjusted, the war far from over

AG