They say life—
is just the luck of the draw.

But I’ve held the deck…
felt its weight in my hands—
and I know—
it’s more than chance.

It’s choice.
It’s timing.
It’s how you play what you’re given.

♥ ♦ ♣ ♠

The Ace of Spades—
that’s where it starts.

Power.

Not loud—
not showy—
but sitting there, waiting—
asking,
what will you do with me?

♥ ♦ ♣ ♠

Then come the faces—

Kings.
Queens.
Jacks.

Not royalty—
no—
they’re reflections.

The King of Hearts—
teaches you how to burn for something.

The Queen of Diamonds—
reminds you value isn’t just gold—
it’s how you carry yourself.

The Jack of Clubs—
ah… he laughs—
because not everything needs to be heavy.

♥ ♦ ♣ ♠

And then—

the numbers arrive.

Quiet at first.

The Two—
a beginning.
A choice.
A split in the road.

The Three—
connection.
Love trying to find its footing.

The Four—
you build.
Or you break.

♥ ♦ ♣ ♠

But life doesn’t stay gentle.

The Five—
that’s where it tests you.

Challenges.
Restlessness.
The moment you realise—
this isn’t a game anymore.

♥ ♦ ♣ ♠

The Six—
balance.

Or at least…
the attempt at it.

Trying to hold everything together
while the world keeps moving anyway.

♥ ♦ ♣ ♠

The Seven—

That’s where things get complicated.

Love grows.
Or it slips.
Luck shows up—
or it disappears just when you need it most.

♥ ♦ ♣ ♠

The Eight—

Work.

No glamour here.

Just effort.
Sweat.
The quiet grind
no one applauds.

♥ ♦ ♣ ♠

And the Nine…

You start to feel it.

The weight of everything behind you.
The sense that something’s ending—
even if you can’t name what.

♥ ♦ ♣ ♠

Then the Ten—

Change.

Always change.

The card that says—
ready or not…
move.

♥ ♦ ♣ ♠

And just when you think you understand the deck—

it reshuffles.

♥ ♦ ♣ ♠

The Jack returns—
but different now.

Wiser.
Sharper.

The Queen—
stronger than before.

The King—
not ruling…
but standing.

♥ ♦ ♣ ♠

And somewhere in all of it—

you realise…

These cards—
they were never against you.

They were shaping you.

Every spade—
a lesson.

Every heart—
a risk.

Every diamond—
a measure of worth.

Every club—
a test of strength.

♥ ♦ ♣ ♠

Until finally—

you reach it.

The Ace of Hearts.

Not the beginning—

the understanding.

That love—
in all its forms—
is the only card
that was ever worth holding onto.

♥ ♦ ♣ ♠

Shuffle the deck.

Cut it again.

Lay the cards down.

Because life isn’t about the hand you’re dealt—

it’s about
how you rise
when the odds say you shouldn’t.

By Paul Baldry (LongJohn)

A modern spoken word rewrite of my original poem The Deck of Cards, this piece reimagines each card as a lesson in life—power, love, struggle, and growth. It’s a journey through chance and choice, where every hand dealt shapes who we become.

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