She knows the deck is stacked against her,
knows it like she knows that Biden really won,
that grass is green,
and blazing is the sun.
Like she knows the learned gentleman who told her things
would turn out badly, wasn’t right.
He can’t be right.
She’s all in and betting everything tonight.
There is no backup plan. The stakes are high.
It’s just that sometimes by
the looks of things she is the only
person at the table.
She would like some company, be able
to converse and laugh and think
that this time someone’s
betting on her lucky number, too –
or is it number two?
She’s been here for so long
perhaps her luck’s run out.
She’s just about
to quit,
but this far in, it
feels like she would lose more than her wager.
There’s no refund on her time,
her heart, her soul. But still.
If no one cares what will
it really matter?
She might win
and she might lose
but just to walk away ...
at least the game would end.
No more pretending
she’s a gambler,
card shark with an edge. She should have
hedged her bet, perhaps,
instead of going for the long shot.
Winning everything is not
impossible.
Unless it is.
(c) Ellen Gillette, 2021
