Author's Note: This poem was partially inspired by the song 'Endgame' by REM. Hence the name. I think I listened to the song about eight times on repeat before I finished. heh Anyway, hopefully someone will enjoy this, and if you do, please leave a review when you're done reading. Thanks!

endgame

It's not quite the end

because you're still here

but it's still over

because it's all just a game for you

you came, you saw, you ignored

again, like you always do

it's so pointless to keep playing

when you're done with it

you gave it up a while ago

but I kept trying

a one-sided match

in a two-player game

close my eyes and it's still going

playing out perfectly in my mind

your eyes are open and looking elsewhere

you're finished and moving on

I know you never really cared

it really was just a game to you

I don't want to give up

but this is the end

you'll never give me a second chance

I never had one to begin with

I'm tired of playing this game by myself

it was over before it began

all those times were just pretend

you made a good show

but the scores never meant anything

and neither did your smiles

I didn't know you were going to cop out at the end

if I had, maybe I would've ended it myself

it was a beautiful game you and I played

where I was the only one who could get hurt

I don't want this to be game over

but to you the end began a while back

I kept playing but you stood up and left

when I wasn't looking

the stakes went to high when you called it

you won everything and you didn't even need it

you left with it all carelessly tossed in your car

and left without a word to me

I think we should end this now

since you don't want to play the game

maybe then I can move on

because you're holding me back

I'll fold like I always have in front of you

and you always took more than you gave

it was easier that way for you

because then it wouldn't hurt you to say goodbye

not that you ever did

would it hurt your pride to let someone else beat you?

is that why you walk the way you do

because to you it's all a game and you won

I won't cry just yet

even though I lost so miserably

it's not over just yet

and I still want to play the game

we both had our bluffs

but mine were more innocent than yours

we both made our moves

mine were forward, yours were back

in the end it seems that your strategy

was not to get involved

better than mine, which ended up being

plunging into a well that was too deep

it was just a game between the two of us

we played it so well

but all games have to end somewhere

and by my count, I lost

keep the pieces

remember the rules

maybe next time we meet

we'll play again

with a different outcome

where we both win

5/28/02