Nov PAD Challenge Poem #17

For my 17th poem for the November PAD Poetry Chapbook Challenge, I am tackling Prompt #16 from Poetic Asides at The Writer's Digest: write a stacking or unstacking poem.

Writing
I built this house of cards
with utmost care--
the foundation a solid premise,
the characters intriguing yet slightly-flawed,
the style spare yet oddly enticing,
the plot propelling action seamlessly,
the dialog sharp and wise,
often bordering on real wit,
the organization clear, the allusions deft.

I stack carefully,
one element atop the next,
holding my breath lest
one unconscious sigh
sends all tumbling flat,
leaving a mess to be cleaned up
in the morning.

Copyright 2010 by Susanne Barrett

As I try something new in the writing arena, this metaphor seems quite apt.

Stacking with care,