Cha-Me-Le-On

============================ I sat one evening in the park upon a bench I thought my own but as the dusk turned into 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 salty 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! ============================