Wednesday, January 11, 2017

Gambler



He didn’t want to be caught on his way out way out
It wasn’t his first time at a dog fight
            First time police showed up
He pulled his car out, honking at another who was blocking his way out
            of the poorly kept lot

He had to be home for dinner
            He had to be home for dinner by nine
            He had to wake up for work by seven
            He had to leave for work by eight-thirty
            He had to start to work by nine
            He had to take a lunch break by eleven
            He had to be back by twelve
            He had to work until five
Every day, weekends held their own routine

Life drolled on, adrenaline was new
            the rush of winning was thrilling
            The dogs were cunning, and vicious and fast
Everything his life was not
            Death was swift
            He felt as if he was suffocating

Working every day
            A boring job, a boring day
            Sit down, pretend to work
            Get up, find the copy machine broken again
            Ask the intern for coffee
                        Get it back cold
Go to lunch with the same people
            Talk about the same things
            Order the same things
            Eat at the same pace
            Eat at the same place
            Split the check the same way
            Drive back the same route
Go to work again
            Be bored again
            Cold coffee again
            Missing ink cartridges again
            End work again
Get stuck at the same lights
            Get stuck behind the same people
            Get yelled at by the same drivers
            Get honked at by the same irritable lady
            Honk at the same slowpoke

In an ironic way, even the fights had become routine
            On Friday night head down a dirt road
            To the new location
Find a dealer

But strangely it didn’t bore him
            He was hooked, and he couldn’t look away
He had won the bet, but the police interrupted when he got his money
            He’d have to collect later.

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