you rigged the obstacle course

our souls run marathons,
jumping over hurdles,
climbing rock walls,
swinging across lava
with a broken rope,

but the only sports in
your untitled triathlon
are the only ones
i've never played:

ROUND I) hide-and-seek
in other words,
"you-hide-and-i-never-find-you"
Outcome: you win, naturally.

ROUND II) pin-the-heart-on-someone-else
Winner? You, of course.
Like you really need another
medal for your Wall-of-Betrayal

ROUND III) find the truth in the lie-stack (this one's a personal favorite)
Guess who takes gold?
(and silver and bronze)
Well, here's three hints:
1. WHY do i keep losing?
2. OH, don't blame me...
3. YOU.
wait, that last one was a dead giveaway
(as if you gave me anything but trouble)

silly me for trying to answer
a question with an answer;
but i'm all wornout by now:
out of your league;
out of stamina,
out of energy,
out of patience,

since i'm out of breath,
can you lend me yours?

i know i am no athlete,
but how fun can it be
tearing pages from the rulebook
or carving papercuts in my face
when i'm sore enough as it is?
(wait, don't answer that!)

i'm tired muscles
and bruised egos
and sweaty palms,
but if love is a game,
then lust must be
an olympic event.