Karl Koweski

dungeons and dragons and me

I still wake up from dreams
where I’m rolling five
six-sided dice
picking the three highest rolls.

strength
intelligence
wisdom
dexterity
constitution
charisma

a character page
teeming with attributes,
proficiencies, and equipment,
and a plethora of
polyhedral dice
all conspiring to keep me
from having sex.

it is no coincidence 
rolling dice and jerking off
require the same wrist motion.

I’m still haunted by the
nonchalant way I’d slip my
Player’s Handbook from my
school bag during study hall
oblivious to the pretty girls
rolling their eyes at me.

strength
intelligence
wisdom
dexterity
constitution 
charisma

always the lowest dice roll
placed in charisma,
unaware of the importance
of human interaction.

always the highest dice roll
placed in strength
because I possessed none.

life being so simple
when it’s parsed down
to numbers and
levels of experience.