He sits
on a rock in the dark of night
Watching the nearby airport’s planes in flight
In the distance, city lights sparkle like gems
An hour ago, he stood among them
He knew he should have taken that first plane
But he was on a hot streak to leave was insane
His streak quickly went on a downward slope
Cashed in the plane ticket, a bus he could cope
“I believe just one more hand, and I’ll have it beat”
Now another person sits in his Greyhound seat
Resolute he tossed in the last token
Doomed, before the dealer had spoken
The wheel slowed to a pause, and he yelled “Stay gold!”
Worries over, he’d swear he saw heaven unfold
But gravity turned the wheel that one last click
Yes, fate had pulled off another cruel trick
He sits
on the rock, the eerie silence bliss
Shakes his head on how his life came down to this
Calm in this dark orchard of desert sand
Night creatures the least of his minds demand
Ordered to stay out of the Fool’s Paradise
God, how he wishes he had taken that advice
His brief streak ended, he couldn’t make book
Down to the last coin, his goose was cooked
He embarked on this weekend to have fun
Now he prays his wife forgives what he’s done
Wondering how is she going to cope
He’s taken every dime of theirs down the slope
He doesn’t try to run when the dark suits appear
Inside the loan shark’s mansion, he’s beyond tears
Not the first, not the last he falls in queue
As the suits do what they’re hired to do
So this is how it ends, the thought does occur
In the split seconds before the silencer
He sits
on the rock in the dark thick
Doesn’t even flinch, when he hears the click
Raivenne-lations 
Haunting verse.
Thank you.
With the final four stanzas, it seems to me that he has attained the best of all possible ends. Perhaps they should post this at the entrances to all the casinos, right next to “Do you have a gambling problem? Call…”
I don’t think the casinos would want to hint that gambling may get one killed. They want folks to play craps on the casino floor, not have a crap there. 😉
Great story, Raivenne! Very vivid and tense. Wonderful write!
Here’s my Bluebell Slam entry this week, if you’d like to take a look at it: http://charleslmashburn.wordpress.com/2011/12/08/hope/
Thanks Charles!
wow….nice storytelling through your verse…intense too…and makes you wonder how it could come to this…
I’m sure there are many we’ll never know about who do wonder. Thanks Brian.
very powerful story.
I can see him and his thoughts.
Thanks, Morning.
Cripes!
LOL, “Thanks” ?
This is a great poem about how gambling can destroy lives. It is so funny that when one sets out on a trip to Vegas one has such hope that they will finally be a winner and then one must come back home. One is lucky to leave with money in their pocket and if one leaves a winner then one is usually thinking about when they can come back. The only thing I can say is that all those beautiful casinos were not built because the gambler wins, no it was built because the gambler loses. Hopefully they do not lose their life but there are many that have. Stay away, is the best advice that I can give, trust me I know.
A wonderful tale for this weeks Theme Thursday. Thanks for joining us this week.
God bless.
I certainly did not set out to write a gambling PSA when I started this.;)
I had an image of a man in the middle of nowhere looking down a gun barrel and was resolved in knowing he was about to die and it was his fault. The image was focused on that final emotion of the character. The story was simply my muse concocting a quick explanation on how he got to that point. The outer ramifications were secondary and even tertiary to the moment. I am glad you liked it. Thank you.