Boredom shapes the gambler’s curse—
a chafing itch burrows the skin,
and promises of bounties full
draws loss and piteous hunger in.
It wagers not on sense but need,
all wisdom choked at galloping speed-
that trades frail patience in a pulse,
mistaking want for feckless greed.
Tidal leaps the wave, a beast enraged
the shifting boards ,a sweep of losses tilt-
that stilts no longer shudderproof engaged
foundations fall and nothing left but guilt.
Glitzy, Vegas-style seductive dancers
Lascivious lancers' lances
Glam and rock in hilarious fashion.
Quintessentially Parisian
Paris Crazy Horse, the most avant-garde
Enticing and sensuous dance and song concord
A fantastic cardio exercise that makes you sweat
Each wagers to sweat out the greatest
Well-crafted jokes, mockeries, and ridicules
There are arrayed dance arcades with rules.
Fall in love with this incredibly lovely present.
To the fullest extent possible, you will live in the moment.
You don't know me
You don't own me
You don't know the ghetto where I was born
You don't know the winds that I have torn
You don't know the places where I have been
You don't know the roads that I have taken
You don't know the mountains I have climbed
You don't know the storms that I have braved
You don't know the rivers that I have crossed
You don't know the wagers that I have lost
You don't know the oceans that I have sailed on
You don't know the thorns that I have walked on
It's not you that gives me bread
It's not you that made me read
So, don't judge me like you know me
So, don't treat me like you own me
Nathan Gilmore hit the news
Was it his bloodline or did he choose STUDY GUIDE
A life to kill, a life to die
Was he trained or is it lies
Propaganda still it reigns
Still... it's there to fill our brains
A poor man's game of solitaire
A piece of fat from those who care
When they’ve taken all but your last best
Take all you won so they don’t forget
But if you bet and do not win
Acknowledge one day you will try again
Don’t let pity still your gains
You earned that gold, you won the game
Friendly wagers are never lost
But make sure you can cover cost
Well fed, you look but can you play
Or are you one with something to say
I've but a moment or two to spare
Please don’t stutter and don’t be scared
Yes, to you, it's important though
But if you don’t speak up, I must hurry and go
Choose your words wisely, think before speak
Ask me questions but please keep it brief
The answers are foreign some call them trash
So, ponder your choices before your question is asked.
losing at some game
produces very little shame
no one else to blame
pride quite easy to reclaim
nothing ventured nothing gained
big or little stakes
wagers may keep minds awake
or make weak souls shake
don't bet what shouldn't be lost
keep in mind that final cost
losing in a war
involves relatively more
lost for evermore
may be people you adore
wagered in deadly gore
bet all of one's mind
on what remains undefined
life a non-stop grind
of intensely out of line
dancing with wild emotion
keep the odds in scope
know when it's time to say nope
don’t ante last hope
when on that slippery slope
full of angles and false tropes
The tightening grip of the pandemic
Stifled the livelihood of many
With the daily wagers losing jobs
Mere survival was at stake.
A benevolent NGO opened an outlet
In our locality to provide daily
Food and provisions free
To the needy and the destitute.
Every morning scores of people
Stood in long tortuous line
Under the scorching summer sun
Until the shelves were empty.
In one such morning as usual
The line was moving slow
When someone proclaimed
Lockdown would start from midnight.
People broke the orderly line
Rushed in panic toward the food bank
Soon its shutters were pulled down
So pandemonium didn’t turn to scuffle.
August, 5, 2021
Contest : Panic At The Food Bank
Sponsor : Kai Michael Neumann
I OPENED A DOOR
AND SAW MASS CONFUSION.
AT FIRST I THOUGHT
IT'S JUST AN ILLUSION.
FOLKS WERE YELLING.
AND WAY OUT OF CONTROL.
WASN'T SURE WHY.
NO POLICE ON PATROL.
PUSHING STARTED
AND THIS LEAD TO A FIGHT.
ALL OVER WHAT?.
AND CONTINUED ALL NIGHT.
FIRES WERE STARTED.
SEVERAL WINDOWS SMASHED.
FIRE DEPARTMENT
WAS A SIGN OF THE PAST.
THE LEFT IS RIGHT.
THE RIGHT FOREVER WRONG.
PEOPLE SHOUTED.
AS IF SINGING A SONG.
HOW COULD THIS BE.
AND WHY WOULD ONE SAY.
THAT'S A QUESTION
I'LL DISCOVER TODAY.
HATE AND ANGER,
FOR WHAT EVER REASON.
COVER SECRETS,
OF THOSE BEHIND TREASON.
I TOOK A MOMENT.
AND I THOUGHT TO MYSELF.
THIS WILL DESTROY,
ONES LIFE AND ONES HEALTH.
I TURNED AROUND
AND DEPARTED THE SCENE.
UNDERSTANDING
THIS ISN'T MY DREAM.
LIFE IS PRECIOUS.
WHERE EVER YOU MAY STAND.
BEING CONTROLLED
YOUR LIFE'S NOT IN YOUR HANDS.
MANIPULATION.
I BELIEVE THAT'S THE WORD.
UNDERSTANDING
WHAT IS SEEN AND NOT HEARD.
CIGARS? CIGARETTES?
SHE SAID WITH A SMILE.
WAGERS AND DEBT
WILL GO ON FOR AWHILE.
07192020
Goodbye old friend. I'll miss you the most. Don't blame my cold shoulder. My Heart needs to pull away to give you all you need. This stare down has me nervously calm. You asked me to do this deed. Dont forget I was willing to bargain. Wagers were never agreed upon. That's my personal issue . I'm here in front of you. It must seem like I'm on a different planet. Look in my eyes my reality is dark and lonely. I'm damaged goods. The sweetest of fruit that has expired. That's who I am. I'm well aware of my short comings. So all I can do as of now. Is say goodbye old friend. I loved you the most.
Richard Tarr
10/07/2019
Howe great are your lofty peaks, amongst hillocks traced
Free from foes and frauds , ink my ridges with love and freehand
Ones tail whips round between valleys deep, creating a landscape, a mighty sweep
Lancers move forward and runty stays close, for those wagers upon us will judge us the most
Ego and IDs freeze at first glance , six nations armies forlorn and entranced
Exit the summit, bring down the gate for thine has the power to command check mate.
Don't bother counting swallows,
I can tell you it's not summer yet.
Winter after winter follows and
my wager is as safe as wagers get
that speeches will be shallow
at the Tory Party Conference
where wearing bangled images of Frida Kahlo
does not inspire public confidence.
Maybe counting birds isn't such a bad suggestion;
but what season follows next, that is the question.
All I have to offer is this cigar
and clay cup of whiskey that’s not so bad.
Hides are loaded, sir, thought you would be glad
We’re ready to sail at first evening star.
Rounding the Cape at this late time of year
is dangerous but can be done, no fear.
Hold’s filled with hides, men have done their duty
things are shipshape, sir, hides are thoroughly dried.
no wasters here, we’ll catch the evening’s tide.
They’ll pay good price for California’s pride.
Boston ‘wants prime leather for boots and shoes,
this ship will give them what they want to choose
With scopes they’ll watch for our then arrival
Making wagers what ship will make birth first,
losers with naught but dry and angry thirst.
Owner thankful for his ship’s survival
and happy he’s first to sell at market
With many buys filling his vest pocket
I am tangled
in a web of emotion.
placing wagers,
defying destiny,
and facing consequences.
I lie here and ponder,
dreams that remain unfulfilled,
clinging to what's familiar,
nonetheless,
demanding change.
running towards the future,
shackled,
by chains of the past.
suspect of everyone,
as I tread lifes crooked path.
Sunrise fades into sunset,
another day is squandered,
imprisoned by my thoughts;
voices of penitence taunt me
in the unforgiving silence
weight of remorse.
aggrieves my soul
vulnerable to the fading
of my blurring cognizance.
Among the wagers
And blood lust
No one listens to the ceiling fan
Over the title fight.
2
All the dying children
Of the holy and rotting corpse
Have made it a habit of crawling to the glowing light
To
Find
Nothing
At all.
The greatest trick played on man.
Am I to live a poor
man’s life,
to struggle and toil
with hunger and
strife?
Am I to be lowly
kissing the feet of
kings
as they feast at
their tables
and they dance and
they sing?
Will success
continue to be a
stranger
as I fail again and
again with all of my
wagers?
Am I but a peasant
who dreams of
success,
who hopes to one day
be blissfully
blessed?
How long must I
endure this struggle
called life
before I can care
for my children and
wife?
Am I always to be a
footstool or will I
stand in the tower
looking down upon my
endless fortunes for
hour upon hour?
Am I one day to
aspire
or will I continue
to wallow in this
murk and this mire?
Is this hopelessness
just as it seems or
will my labors
deliver riches
beyond my wildest
dreams?
Will I achieve
status, fortune and
fame?
Will the people
cheer at the mention
of my name?
One can only dream.
One can only dream.
In a horse life.We can play with a burlap feed
bag, an empty milk jug, or chew on the barn stall
door.Just to kill some time, or to kill some every
day bordom.In a horse life.We get names like
Black Beauty, Flicka, Seabiscuit, or Secretariat.
In a horse life.We do tricks like bowing our heads
down, or placing our shoe upon a pedastool.Picking
up the cowboy hat.While tapping our feet rata-tat-tat.
In a horse life.We like a good block of salt.With lots
of minerals, to lick upon.A wholesome bale of hay.To
start off a brand new day.Or a bucket of grain.To keep
us all healthy, fat, and sane.And a fresh bucket of water,
to wash it all down.In a horse life.I could be losing a
horseshoe.While the rider is losing his mind.In a horse
life.We can be a workhorse, a race horse, or a trick pony.
Or maybe a showhorse, or possibly a circus horse.With
out all the phoney baloney.In a horse life.We can run all
day in the open sun, or run the race trak.While the betters
place their wagers.Of course, at the horse racing track
betters window.In a horse life..
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