Monday, April 16, 2007

Roulette

The night backdrops the traffic lights in town
where wheels spin like water swirling down
and offer chances: red, or green, or black.
The dice are ivory, teeth lost by a clown
and marked with pips: a snake-eye staring back
prepared for flight or ready to attack.
They tumble, land. The croupier rakes it in.
The players shake their heads at shortened stacks
as if they'd really thought that they might win.
The bartender sets up another gin
and tonic for the people with the chips.
Don’t moralize; I won’t say it’s a sin
but pity the poor folks who lose their grip
who stagger broke and hungry down the Strip.

10 comments:

paisley said...

i too gambled with the subject of roulette... but in a far more playful manner....

Anonymous said...

Roulette, or craps?

Gemma Wiseman said...

I have only watched roulette from a distance. And I'd like tokeep it that way.

Gemma

Anonymous said...

..it is great fun though! I love it.

Jeques said...

It's fun when kids play the game. But when it's the grown up playing the game with higher stake, it's another story.

I wish you well.

~ Jeques

Jane Doe said...

I've never been a big gambler, as I usually lose! This is a great poem though, I love the rhyming and it flows so well.

Have a great weekend!

Linda Jacobs said...

Too often too true! A smooth-reading sonnet!

Cassiopeia Rises said...

I've only been to Vegas once and won a great deal of money. I bought a Coach Bag. I don't like to gamble.
This flows well and the poem is very good!

love-bd

Anonymous said...

excellent... i can hear the clink of ice frosting in their glasses...

Tumblewords: said...

Very nice. Reminds me of the few times I've played the game - but I've never lost - nor won. Love this poem!