Dealer’s Choice

you’re not sure why he does it

not sure about your part in

enabling the pain

he claims the game is rigged

wonders aloud if he should quit

because he never wins

but moments later

with the next deal

he tells you to forget

about everything he said

outside the casino

the sky is gray

rain falls from clouds

through rays

of artificial light

it's often too confusing

infuriating for you

to continue to invest

your life in this illusion

there's always an excuse

he complains the rules

change with each shuffle

to the dealer's advantage

shows you how

the decks are stacked

the cards are marked

can demonstrate how aces

are palmed under the table

confides in you about

confederates he imagines

looking over his shoulder

alerting the house

with signals flashed

from behind his back

about everything he's got

but he won't stop betting

he likes the draw's suspense

relishes the attention

the free food and alcohol

as a player at the table

brags to you what he'll become

with the win deep down

you know will never come

he begs you to hang on

for one more round

reminds you again

that he's no fool

knows how some

abuse the game

depart from the decorum

of gamblers over the ages

care only about adding to

their conquests and

their fortunes

stares back at you

with vacant eyes

and says he doesn't care

about the odds

you start to wonder

if maybe there are

more than a few cards

missing from his deck

perhaps from your deck too

you try again to warn him

even though you know

by then your lock

on his attention's gone

wonder if it's time

in fact for you to go

you want to say to him but don't

how games at these tables

are won with a confidence

he doesn't possess

with a full house

that can't be dealt

why in the end

you know with certainty now

he will never win

holding the hand he holds