with a stacked deck
Venus aforethought
in satin shadow;
her rational sarong
her sensible scar
scraped in by years of
commitment and mastery that
no way could mitigate
expendability
drawn, snorted, thanked and
acid-bathed in drool of
lizard rationale

she stared back,
stood her ground,
bled blood
to win
     She won
a top floor office,
a view
still awaiting a mission
high heels ache
staring out at the sky
rendezvous