Ode to Polyhedral Dice

By Riley J

How you shake up my world.

Heavenly noisemakers, I could roll you forever.

I jostle my clasped hands up and down, blowing into them for good luck 

making clicks and clacks and tinkle-tink-tinks.

Glorious prisms of infinity, I need you in every design and color.

You bring out my inner goblin,

crammed in clear carrying cases, so I can watch you while you rest.

Little math rocks, I love your numbers from your twos to your ninety-sixes.

I count them up, deal just enough damage to beat the dragon,

and stand atop its hornéd head raising my broadsword in victory.

Building blocks for the bored, your pillars touch the sky.

I place you on top of each other,

your tower teeter-tottering and swaying with every slight move.

You have shapes within shapes, your angles sharp and smooth:

Feet fear you, o’ pointy one, and you, round one, are eager to see beyond the table.

You embrace mix-ins, sheltering them from harm.

You shine in darkness.

You are cold and heavy, but not frozen and unliftable.

You stare at me, and I gaze back lovingly.

Cosmic randomness, I can never read your mind.

I await with bated breath as I wait for your choice,

the results deciding fate.

Dice,

how you shake up my world.