Cash Man played the field
Love to wheel
And deal
Until one day
There was no pay
Cash Man did not know what to say
Felt very alone
Picked up the phone
Heard the dial tone
Decided to go back to school
Swam in the alumni betting pool
Won the spreads
No longer in debt
Returned to flapping
And tapping
Dancing around, something always happening
Choregraphing afternoon delights
Providing entertainment rights
Especially when Cash Man is there
Playing fair
Well versed in gaming numbers
Cool as a cucumber
Cannot be stopped
Ascending towards the top
Not thinking bubble could pop
And if it does
We all knew who he was
Cash Man who played the field
Loving the wheel
And deal
Grammy’s dining room, a charming little casino,
the overhead light turning ordinary air to gambling gold.
Cards fanned out across the oilcloth,
their soft edges warmed by her steady hands.
Dried beans clattered in chipped bowls,
riches measured in the music of pretend.
Grammy’s laughter rose first,
Aunt Maudie’s chasing after,
two sparks lighting the whole room~
and I sat between them,
certain magic had pulled up a chair.
the accompanying memoir vignette can be read at: poetrysoup.com/short_stories/casino_night_13716
Celebratory occasions I usually cook and clean
Like Christmas or Easter, or even Halloween
Appetizers are usually my best specialties
More often than not I use my own recipes
Sometimes though, I will try someone's other
Copying the likes of somebody's mother
A rule of thumb that I'll always abide
Sauté my onions rather than fried
I'll usually make my famous- "Clams casino"
Never end my dinner without some cappuccino
Oh, and believe it or not, I'm not even- "Latino"
lizardly he slithers in
nursing his sloe glass of gin
lightning flashing from his eyes
functioning to disguise
who and what he really is
rolling pairs of snake-eyes
in the air a venomous hissing
is there something I am missing
In the casino hall, the reels all turn,
Lights keep flashing, the bright fires burn.
Coins keep ringing, neon signs glow,
The thrill builds higher with every throw.
Roulette spins fast, the bars are alive,
Cigarette smoke in the aisles will dive.
New slot machines shine bold and bright,
Luring with stories, tempting the night.
Players wait, their hands held tight,
The reels spin on in a fevered flight.
But times have changed, the world has grown—
The casino now fits in your home.
Where smoke once curled in the midnight air,
Now glowing screens take you there.
New Online Slots at UnionSlots call out to start,
With the same old rush and a beating heart.
From the shimmer of lights to pixels’ gleam,
From crowded floors to a quiet dream.
Each fresh release feels like Vegas fame,
Without the smoke, but with all the same game.
astronomical odds they may be
cross your fingers for good luck
get into the groove, into the rhythm
spin hoping for a winfall or free games
spin to hear those bells go crazy
spin for a major hit to cash out
that jackpot has your name on it
somebody's got to win
it might as well be you
adrenaline pumping
get those lights flashing
let crowds gather 'round
AP: 3rd place 2025
Ten.
Ten years, I've been scared,
fearing the phone's ring.
Twenty.
Twenty years, I was,
learning how goodbye really felt.
Thirty.
Thirty years, I reached,
forty-four days ago.
Forty.
Forty, my brother was,
for fifty-seven days.
That's all he got...
and that feels like all for me.
I'm terrified, I'll admit.
Every knock on the door,
every surprise text or call,
every "hey" I wasn't expecting.
Each corner hides a death,
each day a loss on the table,
Russian Roulette be damned.
The calendar is loaded - play.
So don't call me strong.
I'm petrified, and I'll face the grief,
as I always have,
but I won't face you.
I'm running, without shame,
from contact, from laughter,
from making me feel.
My response, proudly, is to hide.
So call me what you will -
save strong.
That just reminds me -
that I have received no choice.
Thirty-three percent.
A third of my life -
looking over my shoulder.
Which do I run out of first -
fortitude, or friends?
The calendar is loaded...
no choice but to play.
I came.
I saw,
I won,
I was greedy.
I lost all.
The dealer dealt the hand with deft finesse
Black aces and black eights
Felt the muzzle on my neck.
Written March 22, 2022
A high stakes gambler who lives in Marquette
is in Nevada alone and in debt
Now homeless in Reno
behind a casino
he craves just one more game of roulette
2/8/22
The dice become unfriendly as I watch my slimming pile.
The seven’s coming up again, but doesn’t make me smile.
I’ve put most of my income on the ‘Don’t Pass’ line, you see
But the shooter was a devil and his points were killing me.
-
He makes his numbers often, and I’m in such a fright
The guy’s so hot that I believe he’ll hold those dice all night
But I am not a pussycat, I know he’s gotta lose,
And so, I am persisting, and the ‘Don’t Pass’ line I choose.
-
I’m following the Martingale, a system meant to win
You just keep doubling bet-wise, even if your pile is thin.
Well, my stake is going fast, but I stick to the system
I bet the last chips in my pile, and for good luck, I kissed ‘em.
-
So punters all, take note of this, and you will be a winner
Never, never double bets, it makes your pile much thinner.
I could not stop playing four casino Quartermania machines in Vegas.
Totally exasperated with me was my sixteen-year-old daughter, Mavis.
At two a.m. I was dancing between them singing a song I made up.
When others approached, I gave a stink eye and shook my coin cup.
Mom, I am leaving! She finally said at a quarter until three.
That was fine, okay, I threw her my car keys. Quite all right by me.
I was up in the win zone; I had made a hundred dollars or more.
I was down to one quarter by ten minutes to four.
I looked at that danged quarter, debating about what to do.
I had not had wheels to return home since about three twenty-two.
Decided on the phone call, but I was reluctant. I called husband Cleo.
I used a most charming voice, "Honey, want to have breakfast at Rio?”
Casino Haiku
Lucky wheel, chances
black, green, red
It's a chance to take
11/19/2021
The ideal casino for playing and winning. My Website
No one knows
what to do
If I breathe in
my poodle's poo
Can I shake paws
with my cat
If I rub her tummy
Is there a caveat
And God protect me
from the friendly St. Bernard
Who slobbers all over me
I need a bodyguard
In fraught times like this
Where to turn for advice
Seems the truth really is
We're just rolling the dice
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