Home » Poems » Lycia Harding » Cha-Me-Le-On

Cha-Me-Le-On

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I sat one evening in the park
upon a bench I thought my own
but as the dusk got down to dark,
I realized I was not alone

I hadn't seen from where he'd come
or got a strong look at his face
but he was there, green as a plumb
where had so long been empty space

He beamed a right polite 'Good day!'
but when I made to shake his hand,
he seemed from sight to fade away
like seaside foam into the sand

Then, as I stared in disbelief
down at the empty wooden seat,
his silhouette in bas-relief
appeared again, from head to feet!

I found this process very strange
but he explained as best he could,
he hadn't left, he'd only changed
his coloring to match the wood

We chatted when my wits returned,
his pattern shifting now and then.
He was a reptile, soon I learned
and called himself 'Cha-me-le-on'

As topics changed, I noticed that
his coloration changed in kind
and I could tell, throughout our chat,
exactly what was on his mind

Now, poker is my favorite sport,
I rake in fortunes with the card,
in part, because those of his sort
make taking babies candy hard

At that, I left but told my name
and address and the time of day
that I was next to hold a game,
inviting him to come and play

Game day arrived and he was there
but came in late to join the fun
and though he dived into his chair,
the show already had begun

I poured a scotch and dealt him in,
explaining how a hand was played,
then sat where I could watch his skin
and witness any change it made  

Then he allowed us all to see,
a wealth bound tightly in a wad
that, awed, I vowed eventually,
would come round to myself, by God!
 
A patsy if there'd ever been,
I got him taught as best I could
but plotting, thought, "If this is sin,
then please, don't ask me to be good!"

In my delight, I failed to spot,
until the night progressed a pace,
my guest caught every other pot
with not one hint wrought on his face

and as he smiled, I realized
that though my friend no clue had shown,
I'd bet you twenty mint that I'd
supplied him plenty of my own!

Thus, Lizards Poker isn't fun
and you must hold your empty seats
if you meet old Cha-me-le-on...
He's just cold-blooded, plus - he CHEATS!

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