The Gambler
by Geraldine King
I wish I could love you more than I love casino
But I cannot
It’s the way my hand feels on the bulb on the end of the arm
In my sweaty palm
Heart beating
Eyes wide
Sweaty
I pull down, gently but with force
Hoping, waiting
For the climactic conclusion to my handiwork
Anticipating the XXX
But coming up empty
All I can do is try again
Inserting what little I have left
Until I have nothing
I wish I could love you more than I love casino
But I cannot.
Geraldine King is Anishinaabekwe from Kiashke Zaaging Anishinaabek (Gull Bay First Nation). Geraldine is a Master’s student in the Indigenous Governance Program at the University of Victoria where her primary research interests are centred on Indigenous erotica as viable resurgent governance praxis. Geraldine is the Managing Editor of Intercontinental Cry Magazine, a publication of the Centre for World Indigenous Studies.