Just layers of paper
These things i hold dear
A stack of fifty two
Although not always clear

A spread and a turn
Then a bend and a twist
You think you see it all
But I'm a card alchemist

How does this all work
With just paper and ink
A stack of cardboard
And a special way to think

Bicyles and angels
In symmetry on back
The whole royal court
In red, and in black

The history's unclear
Of when they first came about
One thing is for sure
There have been conjurers throughout

Six hundred years pass
So many before
This passion for the card
So hard to ignore

You can fool them w/ red
And now blue, green, and gray
The color doesn't matter
In a necromancer's foray

You start by picking one
Then follow w/ it's loss
All eyes focus intently
As reality and illusion cross

These cards can't be real
It just doesn't make sense
A moment in my hand
Who knows where it went

Hand me those cards
Let me shuffle the mix
Only this will reveal
Real magic ... or just tricks

To some it's just a puzzle
A riddle to unwind
Instead you should wonder
Is it real ... or in your mind

A turn of one card
A twist of the rest
It's a cardboard illusion
To this you'll attest