David Anson Lee

SKIN IN THE GAME

The captains inspected every life jacket
with the tenderness of people
who will never need them.

They tightened straps, issued forms,
circulated safety memoranda
written in calm ink.

Their own jackets remained locked
behind glass doors
in offices with carpet thick enough
to muffle consequence.

From the bridge, the sea was theoretical:
a diagram of possibility,
a risk-adjusted horizon.

Passengers attended seminars
on resilience, preparedness, personal responsibility.

Some learned to float.
Some learned to disappear quietly.
Some learned the mathematics of blame.

When the storm arrived,
it arrived without consultation.

The captains stayed dry
long enough to explain
that water behaves unpredictably
when observed from above.


Gerald So's YouTube reading of "Skin in the Game"


David confesses: "This poem examines asymmetries of risk and accountability in institutional decision-making, where consequences are often borne by those least able to influence outcomes. It asks what it means when exposure to harm is unevenly distributed."

DAVID ANSON LEE is a retired ophthalmologist, educator, and poet born on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. A former endowed chair and professor of ophthalmology, his poems explore medicine, ethics, identity, history, and the hidden costs of institutional life. His work has appeared in numerous literary journals and anthologies.