It may look spectacular,

The first-time roll

of the – count them and weep – five sixes

that make up the thrill of Yahtzee,

but what does that matter if all you roll

afterwards is the odd

double four,

forever chasing the large straight

or the four of a kind,

shaking your hand, blowing

the dice, willing them

to give you the thrill once more of a five

that leads to a hundred…

forgetting that the win is based

partly on making sure you score

at the right times

and using the numbers that show face up

count for something

more tangible than the cheap

thrill of a chase succeeded

on first throw.

Ian D. Hall 2020