Bob McAfee

Casino Duplex

The bony finger spins the wheel, lingers while we place our bets.
Colors pass before our eyes, rouge et noir. We agonize.

	Colors prance before our eyes. Chancing all, our lots are drawn.
	The dancing ball is here and gone. Suddenly, we feel the chill.

Suddenly, the chill is real. The slowing ball will soon reveal
what we will gain and we will lose. Soon there’s nothing left to choose.

	Soon there’s nothing left to chance. Wheel of Fortune, bouncing ball. 
	Now our spirits wane and fall. Now our silent voices call. 

As our silent voices call – like a dealer turning cards, like a craps man rolling dice,
the con man gives some bad advice: time to double down, says he.

	Double down: there is no guarantee, except the way we pay our debts,
	in sorrow and with great regrets. Tomorrow’s sun our fate begets.

Tomorrow’s sun our fate begets, payment due before it sets.
The bony finger stops the wheel. The rake man slowly clears our bets.

Bob McAfee is a retired software consultant who lives with his wife near Boston. He has written nine books of poetry, mostly on Love, Aging, and the Natural World. For the last several years he has hosted a Wednesday night Zoom poetry workshop. Since 2019, he has had 113 poems selected by 44 different publications including two poems in Pulsebeat. Two poems nominated for Best of the Net. His website, www.bobmcafee.com, contains links to all his published poetry.